Runaway
by supernaturalsam
Summary: Nancy always wanted a normal life and she had thought she was finally getting that. But an enemy from her past has come back with only one thing on his mind: Revenge. Now her survival hangs with a man she shouldn't trust and who could very well be leading her to certain death. COMPLETED 06/11/2013
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

* * *

Max Grey let out a long sigh as he glanced at his watch, seeing that it was close to five in the afternoon. He'd been sitting on his ass in the nondescript black Tahoe for the last eight hours, keeping a close eye on his mark. It wasn't something he preferred to do, but it was a necessity when it came to his line of work.

After all, preparation was vital to his survival. One slip up could result in his very untimely death and he planned to be around for a long time. Besides, he prided himself on his work ethic and the efficiency required to get the job done right. It wasn't exactly a career path he would have chosen for himself when he was growing up, but he'd always believed in using his talents where it best suited him.

He'd discovered those very talents when he was a teenager since his parents couldn't be bothered to give him the home and life any kid deserved. If his father wasn't beating him during one of his drunken tirades, then his mother was shoving him off to anyone who would take him. Instead of staying around, Max had gotten the hell out and started living on the streets.

After just a few months, he'd become accustomed to that way of life. Stealing became a necessity and everyday was a fight for survival, whether it was over meal from a restaurant dumpster or a bed for the night in a grimy alley. Max had learned fast to toughen up and not be intimidated by all the other vagrants and criminals that walked the streets at night. He'd learned to fight and intimidate, rather than allow himself to be weak and a victim.

It didn't take long for him to build up a reputation for himself, quickly becoming the one person thugs called on when they had an unsavory job or a score to settle with a rival gang. Max never made the mistake of choosing sides, knowing it could get him killed in an instant. He simply went in and did what was required—vandalism, burglary, arson, torture, even murder. He drew no lines in the sand, each job bringing him more wealth than the last and notoriety.

He could have easily retired by now, which was quite a feat considering he was only twenty-five years old. And while a life in paradise—which was something he'd never allowed himself to dream about when he was a kid—was possible, he still enjoyed the thrill of his next assignment.

Not many people had a job where they could make their own rules.

But Max did, and it left him feeling liberated.

"The mark should be coming out at any moment, if she continues to stick to her schedule," Timothy Dawson spoke softly from the driver's seat.

Max nodded at his glanced at the other man before returning his gaze to the sprawling university campus. Normally, he preferred to work alone. Partners provided variables, which was something Max didn't like. He liked to know who or what he was dealing with, only taking risks when it was absolutely necessary. His employer had been insistent though, even offering to provide additional compensation for Max's cooperation.

For the most part, Dawson wasn't so bad. He kept quiet and followed orders, which was something Max liked in a partner.

"We'll follow her and grab her as she comes out of the library," Max said, knowing on Wednesday nights she walked to the local library to study. He knew everything about her—her schedule, which restaurants she liked, even which fabric softener she used. He'd been watching her every move for the past three weeks, wanting to memorize every facet of her life.

Knowing his prey was the only way he'd survived for this long.

Max's phone began to vibrate in his pocket just as the mark emerged from her dorm, making her way down the sidewalk. He didn't even glance at the screen before he answered it. "Grey."

"_Is everything still on track?"_ A man's silky voice asked from the other end of the line. Max tried to hold in his sigh as he recognized the voice belonging to his current employer. It wouldn't have annoyed him so much if he hadn't felt the need to call constantly for status updates.

"You'll have the mark in the next few hours."

"_I would prefer if I had her sooner."_

"You'll get her when I give her to you. You're paying me to do my job so let me do it."

"_I'm also paying to you bring my package to me in a timely manner," _the voice said. _"If you can't handle the job, then I will find someone else who can."_

"Go ahead," Max challenged. "And then you can wait another three weeks to get her. But by then, I probably would have already warned her and you would never get within ten feet of her."

"_You wouldn't do that. I would destroy you before you ever got that chance. I hired you because I was told you were the best."_

"And I am."

The man let out a long sigh. _"The plane takes off at ten. Make sure you're there with my package"_

"Make sure you have the rest of my money."

"_I have it. And Max?"_

"What?"

"_She's a fighter. Do whatever is necessary to make sure she cooperates with you."_

Max rolled his eyes as he disconnected the call. "Arrogant son of a bitch."

Dawson wisely kept his mouth shut as he pulled the Tahoe into the library parking lot, keeping it hidden beneath the canopy of trees, providing them with a little cover. Slinking down in the passenger seat, Max kept his eyes on the main entrance of the library, refusing to let the mark sneak by them.

* * *

"Nancy, the library will be closing in five minutes."

Twenty-one year old Nancy Drew glanced up at Mrs. Perkins, the kindly librarian, giving her a tired smile. "Thank you, Mrs. Perkins. I guess I lost track of time."

"You poor girl. You're working yourself to the bone." Mrs. Perkins put a hand on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. "No one would fault you if you gave yourself a little bit of a break, you know."

Nancy closed the laptop, shoving it into her backpack as she shook her head. "There will be plenty of time to take a break once my finals are over. I just have to get over this next week and I'll be free."

"Maybe so, but if you keep going at the rate you're going, you'll only get yourself into an early grave." Mrs. Perkins arched a brow as she looked sternly at Nancy. "Then what good will that college degree be?"

Nancy couldn't help but smile at the older woman, knowing she was just concerned about her well-being. It wasn't something she was particularly accustomed to, having a mother figure in her life since her own mother had died when she was only three. The kindly librarian had quickly filled that role, since Nancy first walked into the library almost four years ago. Every day, it had been like clockwork—Nancy coming in at five every evening, only to leave when the library closed at seven. She was never a minute late to arrive or a minute early to depart.

She was in her senior year at Emerson College, pursuing her journalism degree. While it would have been natural for her to continue in criminal justice, given her experience as an amateur detective, she'd found that she could combine her two loves—investigating and writing. Every now and then, she would take on a case or two as a favor to local law enforcement requiring her skills. But she'd stopped letting it consume every aspect of her life, wanting to focus on earning a college degree. It was something she'd always yearned to accomplish, and she knew her father wanted it for her as well.

In one week's time, she would reach that goal.

But only if she aced her finals.

Standing up, Nancy slung her backpack over her shoulder before giving Mrs. Perkins a hug. "Don't worry about me, Mrs. Perkins. I plan on being around for a very long time. After all, I've already gotten an offer to work for the _Tribune. _There's no way in the world I'm going to let that opportunity go."

"Just take care of yourself, dear. I suppose I will see you here tomorrow at five?"

"On the dot." Nancy walked to the door, giving the older woman a small wave. "Good night, Mrs. Perkins."

"Good night, Nancy."

Pushing the door open, Nancy stepped out into the warm May night, not missing the scent of rain in the air. Glancing up at the sky, she saw grey clouds sprinkled throughout. She just hoped it held off until she got back to her dorm, thankful that it was only a few blocks away from the library.

Making her way down the stairs, she set off down the sidewalk. There was very little traffic in the university town, which wasn't odd considering it was the middle of the week and most students were doing the same thing she had been doing at the library. She could have stayed back at the dorm to study, but she'd always loved the atmosphere a library presented. Besides, if she'd allowed herself to study in her room, she would have been distracted by the commotion from the dorm building. She couldn't understand it, but there was always that one person who seemed hell bent on distracting everyone else from their studies. It never seemed to fail.

As she walked down the sidewalk, Nancy kept her eyes on her surroundings, alert for any sudden surprises. She supposed that was ingrained into her brain from all of her detective work, being wary of everything. While she knew it wasn't wise to walk alone—especially at night—she'd been doing it ever since she was a freshman. Besides, if anyone ever tried anything, she had a can of mace and plenty of fighting skills.

"Excuse me, miss?"

Nancy whirled around, instantly cursing herself for not realizing that someone had been following her. Her blue eyes widened as she took in the man in front of her. He couldn't have been much older than she was, with dark hair that fell over his ocean blue eyes. He was well-built, his muscles showing through the black t-shirt he wore. He was looking at Nancy with an almost embarrassed smile. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you."

Nancy shook her head, giving him a shaky smile. "No, it's okay. My mind was elsewhere when I should have been paying attention. Did you need help with something?"

"Actually, I was wondering if you had a phone I could borrow. I seem to have left mine back at my apartment, and a buddy of mine was supposed to meet me for drinks." He held out his hand. "I'm Max, by the way."

"Nancy." She took his hand and shook it, surprised by his gentle grip. "So, how exactly do you manage to leave your apartment without your phone? I thought that was impossible."

Max shook his head sheepishly. "I must have had my mind on other things as well."

Moving her backpack across her shoulder, Nancy reached into the smallest pocket to retrieve her phone. Unlocking the screen, she handed it to Max. "Here you go."

"Thanks. I really appreciate this." Max took the phone and dialed a number, frowning as it must have gone unanswered. "I wonder where he could be. He's not answering his phone."

Nancy smiled as Max disconnected the call. "Maybe he forgot his phone, too," she teased.

Max smiled, chuckling as he returned her phone back to her. "Look, I'm sorry for scaring you. I guess I'll let you get back to what you were doing."

"It's no problem, really."

"Thanks for letting me borrow your phone, Nancy."

"You're welcome, Max. Good luck finding your friend."

"Yeah…thanks."

Flashing him one last smile, Nancy turned around and began walking towards the university once more, her phone gripped tightly in her right hand. She'd barely walked a few feet before she felt strong arms grip her from behind, a hand covering her mouth to silence her surprised scream. Her phone fell from her hand and shattered on the unforgiving concrete. Instinct took over and she instantly began struggling with her captor, fighting with everything she had as she felt herself being dragged backwards.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a black Tahoe pull up to the sidewalk with a squeal of brakes. Nancy knew immediately what was happening—she was being kidnapped. Her brain quickly registered that she only had a matter of seconds to react, knowing that once she was in the vehicle, it would be next to impossible to get away. Her hand went to her pocket, desperate to retrieve the mace she kept there as her assailant continued to drag her towards the SUV.

Finally, she managed to dislodge the slim tube from her pocket. Releasing the safety button, Nancy turned it and aimed it towards her attacker's face, ducking her head before she managed to spray herself in the face. Her attacker roared in anger, immediately letting her go as he brought his hands up to his face, wiping away at the offending chemicals.

Nancy wasted no time as she took off, wanting to put as much distance between herself and her attacker. She just needed to get back to her dorm and then she would be safe. She could call the police and let them handle the situation. Gripping the mace even tighter, Nancy put on more speed—she was just one block away.

All of a sudden, she was tackled from behind, the mace dropping from her hand as she was brought down against the concrete. Her head bounced off the concrete, pain instantly blossoming in her head as she briefly saw stars. She let out a cry as her arms were wrenched behind her back before the unmistakable sound of a cable tie being tightened around her wrists secured them in place. She felt herself being hauled up as a hand once again clamped down over mouth, preventing any screams as she was dragged back once again towards the waiting vehicle.

Still, Nancy fought with her last remaining strength, even though her head was threatening to spilt open. She dragged her feet along the sidewalk, making it harder for her kidnapper to move with her. Cursing softly, he tightened his grip on her and practically carried her to the Tahoe, shoving her into the backseat.

Nancy's eyes widened in shock as the doors closed behind her and Max loomed over her, yellowish liquid running down his face as he glared at her. "What the hell are you doing?"

"My job." Max grabbed her feet, quickly slipping another cable tie around her ankles and securing it tightly. "He was right about you, after all. You are quite the fighter."

Nancy tried to scoot away from him as the vehicle took off down the road, throwing her against the door. "Who are you talking about? What do you want from me?"

"You'll find out soon enough." Reaching into the bag at his feet, Max grabbed a towel and wiped at his face, cursing under his breath.

"Where are you taking me?"

"You ask too many questions."

"Tell me!" Nancy yelled, anger coursing through her body. Anger was good—she could fight with anger. It was a better emotion to deal with than the fear that was threatening to consume her. This wasn't some random kidnapping; that much she knew for sure. This was a professional job which could only mean that something much worse was awaiting her wherever they were going.

"Shut up and behave yourself."

"Or what?"

"I'll drug you."

Nancy glared at him, saying nothing. The last thing she wanted was to be drugged on top of being helpless. As long as she was conscious, she could formulate a plan and find out where she was being taken. Maybe she could even find some way to get free and get some help.

"Good girl." Max rummaged through his bag, smiling when he came up with a handkerchief and a small bag. "Let's make sure you behave yourself, shall we?"

Swallowing hard, Nancy tried to push away from him as he leaned across her and shoved the rag into her mouth before tying it off tightly behind her head. Grunting in frustration, Nancy watched as Max stretched the opening of the bag between his hands. She knew at once what he was going to do with it—once it was on her head, she would be effectively blinded and at his mercy. She would have no hope of getting away once he did it.

Nancy tried shaking her head back and forth, making it harder for him to get it over her head. Letting out a growl, he backhanded her savagely, her head ringing once more from the second blow in a matter of minutes. Jerking her body forward, he put the black sack over her head and shoved her back against the door, closing her off in darkness.

* * *

**Well, I'm back…I just couldn't stay away from you guys for long!**

**So, this was an idea what was tossing around in my head, among others. There will be plenty of action and suspense, not to mention a little romance thrown in for good measure. I am still debating if the Hardys will be in this one, which I know will probably alienate a good portion of my usual readers.**

**I apologize for any mistakes—I am going at this one beta-free this time. **

**I hope you continue to take the ride with me!**

**Until next time!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

* * *

Nancy drifted in and out of consciousness as the Tahoe bounced along the road, taking her to whatever destination awaited her. Every bump and pothole was like agony through her body, given the way she was trussed up and propped against the door. She'd tried to keep her moans to a minimum, not wanting to give her kidnappers any pleasure in her discomfort. They were going to learn quickly that they picked the wrong girl to go after. She hoped for their benefit, whoever had hired them was paying them well because there was no way she was about to make it easy for them.

Not that she wasn't freaked out about this whole ordeal. It would be a stupid mistake on her part to pretend that she wasn't afraid—a mistake that could get her quickly killed. Her self-preservation instinct was already kicking in and she was going to do anything possible to find a way out of her hopeless situation. Sure, she was hampered by the fact that she couldn't see a damn thing, not to mention she couldn't move a muscle without pain shooting through her arms and legs.

But that was just a couple of minor obstacles. After all, this wasn't her first time to be kidnapped and it certainly wouldn't be her last. She just needed to concentrate and come up with a good plan that would get her home before anyone ever noticed that she was missing. Though, now that she thought about it, her roommate would be the only one to notice her gone—and that was only if she even showed up at the dorm tonight, unless she'd decided to stay the night with her boyfriend.

Maybe her professors would think something was amiss, considering Nancy had never missed a day of class. But by then, it may be too late for her.

_No! Don't think like that! Someone will notice you're missing and they'll find you. Don't you dare start thinking it's hopeless!_

Nancy didn't realize she'd let out a soft whimper until she felt Max moving beside her.

"Let me help you sit up a little bit," he said softly, his hands grasping her arms.

Nancy jerked away from him with a grunt, not wanting him to touch her. No way in hell was she about to accept whatever kindness he had to offer her, especially since he had showed no compassion towards her when he'd grabbed her off the street.

"Suit yourself," he muttered.

She could have kicked herself for letting her guard down around him when he'd approached her on the sidewalk. Was she really that gullible or had college really made her forget everything she had learned from her detective work? Rule one: _Trust no one._ Yes, that made it sound like she watched way too many _X-Files _reruns, but that was the one rule that was never supposed to be broken. Everyone had something to hide and they would put up any front in order to protect themselves.

It was just how people were programmed.

And just because she had let herself be vulnerable, for just a few minutes, she was now in a very sticky situation. It also didn't help that she'd actually allowed herself to think Max was attractive—the devil in disguise and all that.

Nancy cringed at that thought. Here she was, trapped in a car going God knows where, and she was thinking about how nice Max looked. Yep, that settled it—Mrs. Perkins had been right. She was spending way too much time with her books.

Before she could berate herself any further, she felt the vehicle come to a stop before the engine cut off. Her senses were instantly on alert, her ears picking up the sounds of doors opening and closing and of a roaring engine in the distance. If she wasn't mistaken, that sounded almost like a—

_Plane! _

_They've brought me to a friggin' airport! Oh, this is bad, Nancy—really, really bad. _

She didn't have any more time to dwell on it as her door was opened, causing her to nearly fall out of the vehicle since she had been leaning against the door. She gave a little cry of surprise as she felt herself being deftly caught in a pair of strong arms before being lowered to the ground. Hope flared inside her, even though the bag still remained on her head. If Max cut her feet loose, then maybe, just maybe, she still had a chance to get away.

Unfortunately, luck was not on her side. She gave another grunt as she was picked up and tossed over someone's shoulder, her torso bobbing slightly as she was carried away. Nancy twisted her head, hoping to remove the sack, wanting nothing more than to take a deep breath of fresh air. Once again, luck eluded her and she soon felt her captor carrying her up a small flight of stairs before cool air caused goose bumps to trail up and down her body.

"Tell the captain we'll be ready to leave as soon as I get her settled in," Max's deep voice rumbled beneath Nancy. She felt herself being lowered until she was seated in a soft chair and a few seconds later, the bag was removed from her head.

Nancy blinked rapidly in the sudden bright light, giving her eyes some time to adjust. Max towered over her, but she ignored him as she took in her surroundings. She wasn't in just some ordinary plane—she was in a private jet. Decorated in soft ivory and black, the interior had a modern feel to it. Plasma screen televisions were scattered throughout while a small bar sat nestled in between two large sofas. Nancy saw she was sitting in a plush chair and there was another identical one right in front of her.

Basically, it came down to money and plenty of it. Whoever was behind this little operation was loaded and they were not afraid to flaunt it. For a fleeting moment, Nancy was a little flattered that someone was going to this much trouble for her. But that quickly passed when reality set in and she was certain that there wouldn't be a happy ending for her once the plane landed.

She was snapped out of her reverie as Max leaned forward, taking each end of her seatbelt. She tried not to flinch, but failed miserably as her heart pounded in her chest.

"Relax," Max said with a sigh. "I'm just getting you buckled in. If I wanted to hurt you, I would have done it already."

Nancy willed herself to calm down as he locked the two ends together, cinching it tightly around her waist. She kept her eyes on him as he took the chair across from her and fastened his own seatbelt.

"Once we get into the air, I'll make you a little more comfortable."

Leaning her head against the seat, Nancy closed her eyes as she felt the jet begin to taxi down the runway. The beginning stages of panic were threatening to take over, but she somehow managed to push it down. She couldn't afford to lose it now, to let Max see her weak. She would only be hurting herself if she did that. She had to stay calm and somehow collect as much information as she could so she could find a way out of her situation.

Nancy tuned out everything around her as she tried to find her so-called happy place. She was vaguely aware of the captain coming over the loudspeaker, but she couldn't begin to register what he was actually saying. The only thing she did notice was that he didn't give away where they were headed.

_They really thought of everything, didn't they? _Nancy thought, annoyed.

Nancy opened her eyes as a chime filled the air, signaling that it was safe to unbuckle their seatbelts.

"Can I get you anything, Mr. Grey?"

A stewardess appeared out of nowhere, barely glancing at Nancy as if a woman tied up on a plane was a common occurrence. _Maybe it is around here…what the hell do I know?_

Max smiled up at the woman. "I'll just have a scotch. Would you mind also bringing me a bottle of water?"

"Not at all," she said, returning his smile. "I'll be right back."

"Thanks, Olivia." Standing up, Max reached into his pocket and pulled out a pocketknife, flipping it open, its blade glinting in the soft light. He took a couple of steps until he was standing in front of Nancy, looking down at her. "Lean forward."

Glaring up at him, Nancy shook her head.

"You really are going to make this as difficult as possible, aren't you?" Max rolled his eyes as Nancy continued to glare. "Look, you have a choice—you can either remain tied up for the entire flight or I can free you. Which will it be?"

Nancy had no idea what kind of game Max was trying to play. Was he really trying to fool her into thinking he was nice or did he just enjoy screwing with her? Part of her wanted to refuse his offer, simply out of spite and pride. But the other part of her—the sensible part that was screaming at her—wanted relief from her bonds. As it was, she could barely feel her arms and legs and it would be nice to be able to stretch them out again.

Max continued to stand there and stare at her. Finally, Nancy leaned forward in her seat, allowing him access to her wrists.

"Fair warning—my generosity only goes so far. If you attempt to attack me, then I tie you right back up and throw you in the cargo hold. Understand?"

Glancing up, Nancy nodded her head.

"Good." Leaning forward, Max severed the cable around her hands.

Nancy let out a soft cry as they snapped apart, her skin tingling from the sudden release as her blood worked double time to return the circulation there. She sat back, rubbing her wrists as he cut away the ties at her feet. Folding the knife and putting it back into his pocket, he pulled the gag out of her mouth and Nancy blinked as she felt a small spark as his fingers brushed against her skin.

_Oh, no…that is just so wrong! No way are you about to sit here and feel attracted to your kidnapper!_

Max caught her reaction and smirked as he again took his seat in front of her.

Taking a few deep breaths, Nancy rotated her jaw as she tried to get the feeling in her face once more. It was like a tidal wave washing through her body as her blood rushed back to her neglected limbs. Max continued to stare at her, even as Olivia stopped returned with the drinks.

"Will you be needing anything else, Mr. Grey?"

"Not at the moment. Thank you, Olivia."

Olivia let out a small huff of annoyance at the dismissal, moving away from them. Nancy felt slightly uncomfortable under his scrutiny and wished he would turn his eyes away from her. Any normal man she knew would be checking out Olivia's ass as she walked away, but not Max. He only seemed completely interested in Nancy.

"Stop staring at me," Nancy said, her voice scratchy.

"Am I making you uncomfortable?" Max asked, amused.

"Yes."

Max continued to stare at her as he held out the water bottle. "Water?"

Nancy eyed the water bottle warily, her mouth practically salivating. Her throat was beyond dry, craving anything that would give it some sort of relief.

"I didn't do anything to it, if that's what you're worried about." He thrust it towards her. "See? The seal hasn't been broken yet."

She still didn't make a move to grab it.

"Miss Drew, I won't beg you to take it. Honestly, I am trying to give you what little comfort I can, considering you may very well be walking into your worst nightmare once we land." Max leaned forward once more, holding the bottle out to her. "Take it."

Reaching out, Nancy was surprised to find her hand shaking as she took the bottle from him. She wasn't sure if it was out of fear or the fact she was dehydrated—maybe a combination of both. Opening it, she drank from it greedily, the cool liquid instantly soothing her parched throat.

Max smiled as he leaned back in his chair, taking a sip of his scotch.

"Why did you untie me?" Nancy asked after a few minutes of silence. "Usually when I'm kidnapped, I'm left to fend for myself while the monster of the week gloats about how wonderful he is."

"You sound as if this happens to you often."

"More than the average person, I would say. I guess you could call it an occupational hazard."

Max let out a chuckle as he looked at her. "I untied you because I have a feeling you aren't suicidal. We're on a plane, meaning there really isn't anywhere you can escape, unless you plan on jumping out of the plane and sending all of us to a fiery death."

"It's tempting." Nancy shrugged. "I guess it depends on where you're taking me."

"I'm afraid I'm not allowed to give you that information."

"Why not?"

"Because I was paid very well not to tell you. The first thing you should know about me, Miss Drew, is that I am a businessman. My clients expect me to give them high quality work and I expect to get paid what I'm promised."

"How much am I worth?"

Max gave her a crooked smile. "Let's just say with you I hit the jackpot."

"I'm not sure if I should be flattered or not."

"You should be. You've taken the coveted number one spot on my payday list."

"Yay, me," Nancy muttered. She took another sip of water, letting her eyes roam around the interior of the plane once more. There had to be some kind of weapon she could use against Max. While he didn't seem all that bad on the surface, she wasn't about to let her guard down with him again. For all she knew, he wasn't bringing her to anyone—this could all be some elaborate ploy and he meant to keep her for himself.

Nothing stood out to her as a weapon at first. She couldn't very well overpower him with her plastic water bottle. Maybe jab him in the eye with the top, but then what? No, she needed something a little better. Something she could hide and use once they landed—that would be her safest bet because he was right when he said she wasn't suicidal. Killing Max may be acceptable, but not the others on the plane.

She glanced up as Olivia returned, this time with a tray with two plates covered by silver tops. Lifting the lids up with a flourish, Nancy's stomach growled loudly as the smell of chicken fettuccine filled the air.

Max smiled. "Hungry?"

Nancy shook her head in frustration as Olivia left them alone once more. "I don't understand what you're doing. Do you always wine and dine your victims after you kidnap them?"

"What makes you think I do this often?"

"Fine. What do you do?"

"Many things—basically whatever my client pays me to do." Max picked up a napkin and placed it on his lap before picking up his fork. "And to answer your question—no, I don't wine and dine my victims."

"Then why me?" Nancy tried to ignore the food, even as her stomach continued to rumble loudly.

"Would you prefer I didn't?"

"I don't care what you do."

Max's eyes darkened slightly. "Be careful what you say, Miss Drew. You have no idea what I'm capable of."

Nancy met his stare head-on. "The same goes for me."

"Yes, I'm beginning to realize that." Max took a bite of his food. "You really should eat something."

"I'm not hungry."

"So, your stomach just makes that noise for kicks?"

Nancy rolled her eyes, grabbed the plastic fork—_friggin' bad luck!—_and took a bite of the food, surprised when it actually tasted really good. In fact, it was better than any fettuccine she'd had in a while. She ignored Max when he gave her a satisfied smile. "So, I guess you can't tell me where you're taking me?"

"San Diego."

"San Diego?" Nancy nearly choked on a piece of chicken as how easily he revealed her destination. "What's in San Diego?"

"Comic Con," Max answered, not missing a beat.

"Funny."

Max pushed his tray out of the way and leaned back in his chair, nursing his scotch. "So, Miss Drew…I'm curious."

"About what?"

"You? What exactly do you do?"

"I'm a college student."

"For a college student, you sure managed to piss someone off enough to send me after you." He frowned. "There's something more about you."

"You're just now figuring that out?" Wiping her mouth with the napkin, Nancy set it on the plate before moving her own tray out of the way. "Obviously your client left out some vital information about me."

"Enlighten me."

"Why would I want to do that?"

"Because it provides us with some running conversation to pass the time. We still have at least another hour to kill before we arrive in San Diego."

Nancy wasn't about to divulge any information about herself, especially since Max wasn't willing to reveal anything about himself. "I think I would just prefer to take a nap if you don't mind."

"How can you be sure I won't try anything while you sleep?"

"I can't," Nancy said, sliding down in her seat to get comfortable. "But anything is better than listening to you try to get information out of me."

Max actually chuckled at her. "Fair enough."

Nancy closed her eyes, crossing her arms protectively over her chest. "I would prefer if you didn't stare at me the entire time I slept."

"What would you suggest I look at?"

"Olivia's ass would be a start. I'm sure she wouldn't mind it one bit, considering she's practically itching at the chance for you to hop into bed with her."

* * *

Max smiled softly as he watched Nancy as she settled against the seat before her breathing evened out. She was an unbelievably frustrating woman and he had to admire her for her tenacity and they way she refused to take any crap from him. He'd never before encountered a mark that stood up to him; every single one in the past had been terrified of him, begging for their lives.

But not Nancy.

She had to be afraid, especially faced with the unknown. Yet, somehow, she managed to hide it very well. Maybe she was used to these situations. After all, she'd admitted she'd been kidnapped before. Given her career choice before college, it was a wonder she was even still alive.

He knew everything about her, down to the very last detail. He'd done his research, reading for hours upon hours about her experience as an amateur detective. Max couldn't help but admire her for her courage, especially being so young and having the nerve to face down hardened criminals.

But her past was exactly why he had been hired to grab her. It looked like it was finally catching up to her and she had no idea what was awaiting her. Of course, Max really didn't have a clue, either. He never asked questions—he just did what he was paid to do.

Part of him wished he could just turn around and bring her back home. Hell, it's what he should be doing as a human being. He shouldn't be so willing to turn her over to some whack job and leaving her to fend for herself. It worried Max that he was letting this bother him so much, that he was even feeling sorry for this young woman. Never before had that happened to him.

So, why the hell was it happening now?

_Maybe I'm just getting soft. Or I'm letting the fact that she's beautiful sway me from what I'm supposed to be doing._

If this was any other job, he would have left her tied up and alone. So, what had changed from his past jobs to this one?

Max shook his head, feeling frustrated. He just had to put his walls back up and pretend she was just another mark, another paycheck. Once they landed, he would deliver Nancy and that would be it. He would move on to the next job and refuse to look back.

_That may be easier said than done this time around, Max._

* * *

**So, after much deliberation with myself, I have decided to make this a standalone Nancy Drew story. It doesn't tie in to any of my other stories so there won't be any continuation going on. I know this is going to alienate a lot of readers, but I always go into every single story with the same mindset: I'm not out to please everyone. **

**There are plenty of standalone Hardy Boys mysteries on this site. I could have easily let opinions sway me to include the brothers in this one, but in the end, it just wasn't going to work out. And I felt that if I did have the brothers in this one, it would feel too forced and I would lose some of my integrity as a writer because I was letting opinions dictate how I write.**

**I only hope you can understand my reasoning. I realize I won't have the amount of readers and reviewers for this story, but I'm okay with that. As long as one person is reading it, then I'm happy.**

**That being said, I would like to thank the following for their wonderful reviews: Huka, Mrs. Frank Hardy, Angelvie S, Michelle Gallichio, and Guest.**

**I apologize in advance for any mistakes!**

**Until next time!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

* * *

"Boss, we just got word that the plane landed. The Drew woman should be here within the hour."

Taking a sip of his bourbon, the boss glanced out into the darkness, his smile chilling in the reflection of the window. Excitement coursed through his body like an electrical charge, starting from his feet and tingling all the way to his head. He felt as if he was a child on Christmas morning, about to receive the one gift he'd been wishing for all year.

Three years had been too long to wait for this moment. Three years of sitting in a prison, just waiting for the day he could finally have his revenge. Three years of careful planning and longing.

It was hard for him to believe that in an hour, he would finally have her in his grasp. _"Welcome to the parlor," said the spider to the fly._

"Thank you," the boss said, dismissing the other man. "Let me know when they arrive at the main gate."

"Yes, sir."

The boss turned and watched as the other man left the room, leaving him alone to finish his drink. Walking over to his desk, he picked up a surveillance photo showing Nancy smiling brightly, oblivious to the fact that anyone is watching her. He traced a finger along her face, his eyes burning with intensity.

"Are you ready for me, Nancy?" he murmured. "I'm ready for you."

* * *

"Wake up, Miss Drew."

Nancy jerked awake at the sound of Max's voice, blinking rapidly as a wave of confusion hit her. It took a moment for her to realize she was still on the plane and another full moment to notice they were no longer flying. Glancing out the window, she saw that it was pitch black outside with only a few lights here and there dotting the runway. She felt a slight twinge of disappointment when she didn't see anyone outside, except a few airport workers.

Whoever she was being brought to obviously wasn't here, which could only mean more traveling. Not to be overdramatic, but the suspense was killing her. She just wanted to know who she could personally thank for this nightmare she was currently trapped in. And, boy did she want to thank him…or her. Normally, Nancy wasn't one to resort to violence, but she was really reconsidering her stance on it, wanting nothing more than to throttle the person responsible.

Nancy swallowed nervously as she looked up at Max. "I guess I'm supposed to come quietly with you?"

"It would work out better for you if you did." Max held up another cable tie and Nancy felt her stomach drop. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to tie you up once more."

"You sound really heartbroken about it." Nancy moved her hands to her seatbelt, keeping her eyes on Max the entire time. She was only going to have one shot at getting away from him, and she had to do it before he tied her hands together.

"Not really, no. Like I told you before—it's just a job."

"I'm not just a job. I'm a human being. You have to realize that what you're doing is wrong!" Her finger pressed down on the button and she felt the buckle release, though she didn't react to it. She had to keep him distracted if she had any hope.

"Depends on your definition of wrong, I suppose," Max answered. He had completely changed from the person he had been during the flight. He was almost cold, his face expressionless as he glared at Nancy. "We're wasting time. I have a deadline we have to meet if I want to get paid."

"Oh, God forbid I keep you from meeting your deadline."

"Glad you see it my way." He took a step towards her. "Hold out your hands in front of you and put them together."

Nancy held her hands up in front of her, but just as she was bringing them together, she launched herself out of her seat. Making a fist with both of her hands, she hit Max across the face and pushed him out of her way. She wasted no time as she bolted to the door just as the stairs were being lowered to the ground.

She was only about a foot from the door when she was grabbed around her waist and yanked back. Nancy let out a terrified scream, struggling desperately against Max's grip. "No! Let me go, you son of a bitch!"

Max growled as he whirled her around and backhanded her across the face. Nancy let out a cry as she fell to the ground, her face stinging from the blow. Max was beside her in an instant, taking her hands and binding them tightly with the plastic tie, even as she still fought wildly beneath him. Standing up, he jerked her up from the ground and threw her into chair, breathing heavily as he glowered at her.

"Why can't you just make this easier on yourself and stop fighting me?" He demanded, wiping away blood from his lip. He shook his head when Nancy didn't answer. "I understand a thing or two about self preservation, but if you keep insisting on fighting me every step of the way, then it's only going to get worse for you."

"Get the hell over it," Nancy bit out, gritting her teeth. She was still working hard to get her breathing under control, her heart thundering heavily in her chest.

"Don't worry. I'll get over it as soon as I deliver you." He smiled sweetly at her as he leaned in front of her. "Just think of it this way, Miss Drew. In just another hour or so, you won't have to see me again."

"Promise?"

"Cross my heart."

Nancy looked up as Olivia appeared, clearing her throat. "The car is here, Mr. Grey."

"Excellent. Thank you, Olivia." He straightened up, pulling Nancy up along with him, keeping a tight grip on her. "I don't want any more theatrics from you, especially once we get off of this plane. There is nowhere for you to run and no one here to help you."

"Keep sweet talking me, Max, and I'll never want to leave you," Nancy smirked as he began ushering her towards the door. She glanced back at the flight staff as they moved out of the way to let them by. "I hope all of you sleep well tonight, knowing what he's doing with me and not doing a damn thing about it."

"You're seriously not trying to guilt them, are you, Miss Drew?"

"I'm pretty sure they're paid very well not to feel guilty about anything that happens on that plane."

"And you would be correct with your assumption," Max agreed as he helped her down the stairs. "Besides, they understand the consequences if they betray their boss."

"You mean you?"

"I never said I was their boss. I only just met them tonight."

"Olivia really seemed to be friendly with you."

"I just happen to have that affect on women. I'm afraid it just happens to be my burden that I must carry with me." He smiled down at Nancy as they reached the tarmac. "I'm sure you would feel the same way about me if we had met under different circumstances."

"I wouldn't bet on it," Nancy said, a faint blush creeping up into her cheeks. She knew it was a lie as soon as she had said it. There was no denying that Max was a very handsome man, and she supposed if she had met him under better terms, she would definitely be interested in him.

"It's okay—you can deny it if you want. It's just too bad that your body betrayed you as soon as you said it."

Nancy wished more than anything she could wipe the smirk off his face. Who the hell did he think he was anyway?

The wind was blowing a steady breeze, whipping Nancy's long hair into her face as Max pulled her towards another waiting Tahoe. _It must be the professional kidnapper's vehicle of choice_, she thought wryly. Another muscled thug with a buzz cut was standing guard outside the opened back door, his face showing no emotion as Max came to a stop with Nancy.

"In you go," he said, nudging Nancy forward, his hand still gripping her arm. She imagined she was going to have a pretty impressive bruise there in the morning. "And remember, I am right behind you."

"How could I forget," Nancy muttered as she climbed into the vehicle, the door slamming shut behind them with a resounding thud. Max reached over and pulled Nancy's seatbelt across her lap, buckling her in securely. "I guess it would be too much to ask to die in an unfortunate car accident on the way there, wouldn't it?"

"I'm not about to let anything happen to you, Miss Drew." Max's eyes glowed brightly as he stared at her. "At least, not until we arrive at our destination."

"And for a second there, I actually thought you cared about me." Nancy looked forward as the car made a wide U-turn and began moving down the road.

"I do care about you."

"Until you get your money, anyway." Nancy watched as Max reached into his pocket and pulled out a long piece of black fabric. A slight twinge of fear stabbed through her as she saw him loop either end around his hands.

"I'm not allowed to spoil the surprise for you," Max said, watching her expression. "It's either this or I put the bag over your head once more. There's no need to fight me, Miss Drew. I won't hurt you if I can help it."

Nancy didn't want the bag covering her head again. It had made her feel as if she was suffocating during the car ride to the airport hangar, not to mention a little claustrophobic. "I don't want the bag."

"Then we'll go with this." Leaning over in his seat, Max placed the fabric over her eyes before tying it off behind her head. "Can you see anything?"

Nancy shook her head, her eyes closed tightly against the soft cloth. Now that she couldn't use her eyes, her ears became even more alert for any distinguishing noises. Besides the occasional sounds of passing motorists, she could have sworn she heard the blaring horn of a train in the distance. It wasn't exactly going to help her get out of her situation, considering she'd only been to San Diego a few times.

For a while, the only sound Nancy could hear inside the vehicle was the thudding of her own heart. Every once in a while, she would catch Max humming to himself, though she couldn't identify which song he was performing. He had a nice timbre to his voice, and she couldn't help but feel soothed by it, even though she felt anything but.

Finally, the silence became too much for her.

"Why don't you use any weapons?" She had been curious about it since he'd grabbed her from the street back in Illinois. Never once had he threatened her with one, even when she had been fighting him.

"What makes you think I don't?"

"You had every opportunity to use one on me tonight, but you didn't."

Max let out a soft sigh. "I only use weapons when the situation warrants it. I've never liked them to be honest—I've always used my hands. I've become very adept at using my hands."

Nancy had noticed his hands when they were sitting on the plane across from her. They could easily swallow hers up, with fingers long and lean—they were hands that a musician would love to have. For a second, she wondered if Max played an instrument.

"What are you thinking?" Max asked, breaking into her thoughts. It surprised Nancy that there actually seemed to be genuine curiosity in his voice.

"I was wondering if you played an instrument."

Max chuckled. "With everything that's going on, you're curious if I play an instrument or not?"

Nancy shrugged, not sure if he could see the gesture in the dark.

"I play the piano." Max's voice was soft. "I taught myself when I was a kid."

"I've always liked the piano."

The rest of the car ride was silent. Nancy tried to think of anything to keep her mind off of what was awaiting her once they stopped. Mostly, she thought about her dad and Hannah, and how they would react when they found out she was missing. She honestly didn't know if she would ever get to speak to them again, and for the first time since her ordeal began, she truly felt afraid. While she was trying her best to remain optimistic, that she would find some way to get out of this mess, she couldn't help but think this was it. Here she was, ready to graduate college and take on the world, and she may never get that chance now.

It simply wasn't fair.

Nancy was so lost in her depressing thoughts, she didn't even realize the car had come to a stop until Max tapped her softly on the arm.

"We're here, Nancy."

She was so startled that he'd actually used her first name that she momentarily forgot about the fear she'd been feeling only moments before. Unfortunately, it came rushing back as she heard Max open his door. A few seconds later, she felt the warm spring breeze against her skin as her own door was opened and she was gently pulled out of the car.

"There's still time to change your mind about this, Max," Nancy said softly as he guided her along, causing her to stumble several times since she was unable to see in front of her.

"No, there isn't." If Nancy wasn't mistaken, she could have sworn she heard the slightest hint of remorse in his voice. "I was hired to do a job, and I plan on seeing it through."

"Do you even have any idea who you're working for?" Nancy asked as they came to a sudden stop. She never got to hear Max's answer as another voice interrupted them.

"We'll take her from here," a gruff voice said.

"Where's your boss?" Max asked, his grip tightening on her arm just slightly.

"Inside."

"I'd like to deliver her myself."

"That's not necessary."

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to insist." Max's voice was quiet, but Nancy didn't miss the deadly undercurrent to his tone—it allowed no room for argument.

The other man let out a sigh. "Fine. Follow me."

Nancy swallowed hard as she was once again ushered forward, cool air biting into her skin as they went inside a building. She still had no idea where they were headed, which only added to her uneasiness. She tried to focus on the route they were taking, but they were taking too many turns for her to even map out a possible escape. Finally, they came to another stop and Nancy heard a door open.

"Stay here," the gruff voice ordered. "The boss will be with you shortly."

There was a soft click as the door was closed behind them. Nancy could feel plush carpeting beneath her feet as she was guided across the room before being lowered onto a chair.

"Why didn't you just let them take me?" Nancy asked. She could still feel the warmth of Max's body as he stood close to her, and it soothed her in a strange way.

"Because that's not how I operate," Max said. "I don't like leaving a job unfinished."

Nancy never got the chance to say anything else as the door to the room opened once more. She felt a sudden chill tingle up her spine and it wasn't from the air conditioner. She leaned back in the chair, the anxiousness of what was about to happen to her nearly suffocating her as if a heavy weight was sitting on her chest.

She tried to bite back her gasp as fingers brushed against her face before the blindfold was pulled away from her eyes. She blinked against the sudden brightness before her eyes slowly adjusted, revealing the leering face in front of her.

"Hello, blue eyes." Randy Wolfe's smile was almost predatory as he looked down at her. "Long time, no see."

* * *

**So, there's the boss—the one and only Randy Wolfe from The Nancy Drew Files #28 **_**The Black Widow. **_**He was a villain that always stuck out to me from the entire series and the first one that I think actually scared me with how cold and calculating he was. I've written one story a few years ago that featured him, but I just had to play around with him again—he's just that great. **

**I would like to thank the following for their kind comments on the previous chapter: Michelle Gallichio, AP, Alicia Hardy, and Angelvie S. I was really happy to see that you guys supported my choice by making this a standalone story for Nancy! **

**I also would like to thank the ones who have taken the time to read and add me to their alert lists.**

**I apologize for any mistakes!**

**Oh, and I forgot about that pesky little disclaimer at the beginning of the story—I own nothing expect Max and the potential dark thoughts that may run through my mind during the course of this story!**

**Until next time!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

* * *

For a moment, the world seemed to literally stop.

At least, that's what it felt like to Nancy as she stared up in the leering face of Randy Wolfe. It was a face she had never expected to see again in her life, not to mention this soon. He wasn't supposed to be free. He was supposed to be locked away in some South American prison for many years, if not the rest of his life.

Nancy closed her eyes and opened them again, thinking maybe her mind was playing tricks on her. Sure, she'd been expecting some form of nightmare to greet her, but not this. This was worse than anything she could have imagined. She had faced many criminals in her lifetime, and she was sure the list was long with the ones who would love a little vengeance.

Randy Wolfe would be on top of that list, hands down. He'd terrified her in a way that still gave her nightmares, even after three years. He'd come close—_so close_—to killing her several times while she'd investigated his involvement in a famous emerald heist—one that he had gotten away with until she'd just happened to take a vacation on the very cruise ship, _The Emerald Queen_, on which he was the assistant cruise director. He'd been very charming and Nancy had even found herself attracted to him at one point.

But that was until she had discovered the location of the missing emeralds. He'd only worked on the cruise ship until he could find the emeralds, since his partner had managed to hide them from Randy. As soon as Nancy had let it slip she knew where they were, it was as if a switch had been flipped. Randy had quickly gone from the charming, good-natured assistant cruise director to a cold-blooded, calculating killer in a matter of seconds.

He'd managed to trap Nancy on board a cable car, and pushed her out as they made their way up the mountain. It had been sheer luck and quick instincts that had saved Nancy from plummeting to her death. As soon as the cable car had reached the landing, Randy had been taken into custody and charged with numerous crimes, including kidnapping and attempted murder.

When she opened her eyes again, she saw Randy still smiling at her, his teeth gleaming brightly against his tan face. His green eyes danced with anticipation as he stared at her.

"You look a little shocked to see me, blue eyes."

"Obviously," Nancy said. She tilted her head to the side. "How was prison life for you?"

"Quiet," Randy answered. "It gave me a lot of time to reflect on things."

"Like how not to become someone's bitch? You know with those All-American good looks you have, I imagine you were very desirable to the prisoners."

"You're still as cunning and clever as I remember you, Nancy."

"And you're still as creepy and arrogant as I remember you."

Randy let out a chuckle before lashing out and backhanding Nancy across the face. Before she could even cry out, he took her face between his hands, forcing her to look up at him. "My God, you have no idea how much I have missed you, blue eyes." He leaned closer until his lips were brushing against her ear. "It is going to be an absolute pleasure showing you how much."

Panic surged through Nancy—she had no idea what he meant by those words but the implication was there. Using her bound hands, she tried to push him away from her, but he refused to budge. She then lashed out with her feet, satisfied when she connected with his groin. He let go of her instantly, groaning as he braced himself against his desk.

"Stupid bitch," he bit out, raising his hand for another savage blow.

Nancy flinched, bracing herself for the hit, but it never came. When she glanced up again, she saw that Max had positioned himself between her and Randy.

"Get out of the way," Randy said, glaring at Max.

"As much as I enjoy watching this little battle of wills, I have a schedule to keep," Max said, crossing his arms over his massive chest. "I would like the rest of my money."

Randy stood there for a few moments, his fists clenching and unclenching at his sides. Finally, he seemed to calm down and moved away from them, walking to the other side of his desk. Nancy straightened up in her chair just as a pair of hands clamped down on her shoulders, keeping her in place.

Her eyes followed Randy as he opened a drawer in his desk and pulled out a small key. Then, he went to the other side of the room and removed a painting from the wall. Nancy had to work hard to keep herself from rolling her eyes at the safe that was nestled in the wall. She never understood why people thought it was a good hiding spot for a safe—it was usually the first place a thief would look.

Keeping his back towards them, Randy turned the knob for the combination to the safe. Then taking the key, he inserted it into the lock and the safe opened with a soft _whoosh_. He rummaged in it briefly before taking out several stacks of cash and closing the safe once more. Returning to his desk, he placed the money in front of Max.

"The remaining seventy-five thousand, not to mention a bonus for actually being successful in bringing her to me."

Max picked up one of the stacks and flipped through it. "You sound as if you didn't have confidence in my abilities."

"I didn't."

"You hired me because I am the best," Max said as he pocketed the money. "It would be wise never to underestimate me…I'm sorry, but I never did get your name."

"That's because I never gave it to you."

"His name is Randy Wolfe and he's a lying son of a—"

"Shut her up!" Randy yelled, glaring at the man behind Nancy. Her insult was cut off as a beefy hand clamped over her mouth.

"If you'll excuse us, Mr. Grey, it's time that I get my guest settled in." Randy came around the desk and held out a hand to Max. "I appreciate you for bringing her to me and I will be sure to recommend you to my other associates as well."

"You be sure to do that," Max said, turning as his eyes fell on Nancy. For a second, Nancy could have sworn she saw the slightest hesitation, as if he didn't want to leave her. But it quickly vanished as he began walking towards the door.

_He's leaving me! _Nancy thought wildly as she pulled at the hand over her mouth. She had to plead with Max, get him to try to change his mind. She couldn't let him leave her there, knowing very well if he did, she would never get to go home again.

She bit down on the hand as hard as she could, tasting the coppery tang of blood in her mouth. "Max, you can't go! Please…as soon as you leave me, he's going to kill me!" Hope flared in her chest as Max stopped at the door, his hand on the knob.

_Yes! He's listening!_

Randy let out a growl and jerked her up from the chair. A knife suddenly appeared in his hand and he pressed it against her throat, cutting into her flesh. "Stop begging, Nancy. It's very unattractive on you."

Nancy ignored him as her eyes locked onto Max's. "Please…you don't know what he's capable of. As soon as he kills me, he'll come after you, Max. You're a witness to this—he doesn't like loose ends!"

Max stared at her, saying nothing.

"Don't listen to her, Mr. Grey. Nancy here will do anything to save herself, even filling your head with lies," Randy said. "You have my word that I am no threat to you. We had an agreement and you met your end of it."

"Max…_please_." Nancy's heart plummeted as Max squared his shoulders and turned away from her. She could only watch in mounting horror as he turned the knob and walked out of the room, leaving her alone with Randy.

Randy chuckled in her ear, but it was without humor. "I commend you on your last ditch effort, blue eyes. You're bright enough to know this doesn't have a happy ending for you."

Nancy dug her nails into his arm, trying to keep the knife from nicking her skin again. "Then why don't you just get it over with and kill me already. I'm good as dead anyway."

"You really think I'm going to make it fast for you?" Randy began pushing her towards the door. "No chance in hell of that, blue eyes."

"Where are you taking me?"

"I'm taking you to your room."

He took his arm away from her throat, only to grip her arm tightly. Nancy couldn't even think about getting away as she felt the point of the knife dig into her side. She was completely at his mercy as he led her down a long hallway.

Now that the blindfold was off, Nancy could actually take in her surroundings. She was correct in guessing that she was in a home. It was tastefully decorated in a Mediterranean motif, with differing shades of blues throughout. White gauzy curtains hung over the windows and Nancy could just picture them blowing in the light summer breeze when the windows were opened. There was plenty of open space, making it an ideal place to entertain guests.

"How do you like it?" Randy asked, noticing her looking around.

"Who did you have to kill in order to get it?"

"No one, as a matter of fact. I bought it."

"With money that you stole?"

"Stole, borrowed, laundered…however you want to look at it, I suppose." Randy turned towards a set of stairs and ushered her ahead of him. "I never claimed to be an honest man, Nancy."

Nancy stumbled a couple of times, wincing as the knife dug into her side. "Believe me, that is not a word I would use to describe you."

Once they arrived at the top of the staircase, Randy took a right before coming to a stop in front of a door at the end of the hall. Opening the door, he pushed her inside, smiling as she fell to the floor with a grunt. "Sorry about that."

Nancy bit back a retort as she slowly sat up, looking around the room. She would have been lying if she said she wasn't expecting her to lock her away in some cellar or dungeon. He'd taken her by complete surprise by bringing her to a bedroom. A large four poster queen-sized bed dominated the room, a small nightstand on either side. The walls were painted a muted turquoise and there was another door to the left that was partially opened to reveal a bathroom.

"Is this some kind of joke?" Nancy asked, pushing herself up to her feet.

"What do you mean?"

Nancy waved her hands at the room. "This…this room. What kind of game are you playing, Randy?"

"Who says I'm playing a game?"

"I know how you work, Randy," Nancy said, backing away from him slowly. "You enjoy taunting and playing games. It's exactly what you did back in Rio."

Randy gave her a lopsided smile as he took a step towards her. "But you have to admit, you fell for it. Just like everyone else back on that ship."

"You're a good actor."

"I am."

Nancy let out a small gasp as her back met the wall, but her eyes never left Randy. She had no idea what he was planning to do and she wasn't about to let her guard down for even a second—she'd made that mistake with Max and look where it had gotten her.

"Just tell me what you want," Nancy said, softly. "Why go to all the trouble of hiring someone to find me when we both know you were capable of doing it yourself?"

Randy kept moving forward until he was only inches away from her. He still held the knife in his hand, the light bouncing off the silver blade. As long as he held that, Nancy wasn't going to attempt anything, especially with her hands bound. She knew he wouldn't hesitate to stab her—the awful thing was that he would do it in a way that would still allow her to live.

"You're right," Randy said. He kept his eyes on hers as he lifted the blade and traced the tip along her jawbone, smiling as she shivered. "I could have swooped in and grabbed you at any time. But why do the dirty work when I can hire someone else to do it for me?"

Nancy's heart felt as if it was going to burst out of her chest as she felt the cool metal dance along her skin. "This is revenge, isn't it?"

"Of course it is, blue eyes." Randy continued to trace the knife along her throat, then to her collarbone, following it with his eyes. "Every single day I spent in that rotten prison, I kept thinking about you. What I would do to you when I got out."

"And what did you come up with?"

"Many splendid ways to kill you—I plotted your death so many times in my head." He chuckled as he moved the knife along the length of her arm. "And then I realized how foolish that was—it would only please me for a moment and then it would be over and you would be gone."

"So, you're not going to kill me?"

"No." Randy's green eyes were dancing as he looked down at her. "I'm going to do something so much worse."

Nancy froze as the knife stopped at her hands, fear threatening to choke her. "What are you going to do to me?"

Randy's smile was chilling. Before she knew what was happening, he had cut the ties around her wrists, releasing her hands. Nancy didn't even think as she took his knife hand in hers and squeezed as hard as she could before ducking beneath him and ramming his hand against the wall to get him to release the weapon.

Randy let out a startled yell, jerking away from Nancy as the knife fell to the floor. Nancy made to grab it, but he was quicker and kicked it out of her way before her hands could close around it. Nancy's eyes immediately went to the door, knowing it would be her only escape route. She knew she didn't stand a chance, considering there was no one in the house who would even think about helping her.

She was well and truly on her own.

Nancy shot to the door and was opening it when Randy's hand pounded against it, slamming it shut in front of her. She let out a startled yelp as he grabbed her tightly from behind before pressing a damp cloth against her face. An overpowering sweet smell instantly overwhelmed her senses,

_Chloroform!_

"Just breathe, Nancy," Randy murmured in her ear as she struggled wildly against him. "You'll make it so much easier on yourself."

She let out a muffled cry as she clawed at his hand, fighting against everything to do the exact opposite of what he was telling her to do. Her lungs felt as if they would burst, desperate for air. Randy seemed to sense what she was trying to do and tightened his grip over her face, cutting off the air to her nose to force her to breathe. She threw her hands back, clawing at his face but he still maintained his grip on her.

"That's a good girl," he said soothingly as she finally breathed in the drug.

Her struggles became weaker, her eyes slowly drifting closed as the chloroform worked its way through her system. She barely registered Randy loosening his hold on her as she fell back into his arms, darkness claiming her like a warm blanket.

* * *

Randy waited a full thirty seconds after Nancy closed her eyes before removing the drugged cloth from her face, knowing how clever she could be. He didn't want to be caught by surprise, especially when it came to her. Never in his life had he faced anyone more intelligent or resourceful in his life. And while a big part of him resented her for what she had cost him, he also couldn't help but respect her for her tenacity.

Easing her to the floor, he went to the bed and pulled the covers back. Then, walking back to her, he scooped her up into his arms and gently placed her on the bed. He had to be careful with her now—he couldn't allow her any lenience or she would just try to escape. Now that he had her, he had no intention of letting her go until the time came.

Reaching into the drawer of the nightstand closest to him, he pulled out a pair of restraints that they used on patients in hospitals. They were easy enough to attach to either side of the bed and within a couple of minutes, he had her hands secured to the bed. He then repeated the process with her feet.

Standing back and admiring his handiwork, he was satisfied by the fact that she wouldn't be going anywhere. Walking back to the head of the bed, he brushed her hair from her face before pulling the blankets over her body and kissing her softly on the forehead.

"Sleep well, blue eyes," he whispered just as his phone vibrated in his pocket. Sighing, he pulled it out without even glancing at the screen. "Wolfe."

"_I was beginning to wonder if you would ever answer your phone," _a silky voice said. _"You weren't avoiding me, were you?"_

"Yes," Randy answered truthfully. He'd been doing everything he could to avoid the other man's call, annoyed by the fact that he felt as if he had to check up on him. "In case you forgot, I don't answer to you."

"_Relax."_

"I'll relax as soon as you stop calling me."

"_Did Grey succeed in getting Miss Drew?"_

"Of course he did. I have her with me now."

"_Really?"_

Randy didn't miss the condescending tone in the other man's voice. "You don't believe me?"

"_No. I have no reason to trust your word. After all, you're nothing but a criminal."_

"The last time I checked, so were you," Randy said, smirking. "Would you like proof?"

"_Yes."_

Rolling his eyes, Randy pulled the phone away from his ear and pulled up his camera application. Aiming it at Nancy's sleeping form, he took a picture of her and sent it to the person on the other end of the phone. "Satisfied?"

He could practically hear the smile in the other man's voice. _"Ecstatic. Are we still on schedule?"_

"I still have a few other calls to make, but I don't see any reason why we can't be ready to begin in five days." Turning out the lights, Randy eased himself out of the room and closed the door softly behind him, locking it tightly.

"_And she will stay with you the entire time."_

"Of course. Why wouldn't she? I'm the one who did the work to get her here."

"_Actually, you just hired someone to do the legwork for you. There's a difference."_

Randy closed his eyes, trying to keep his temper in check. He didn't know why he let this man get under his skin in the first place. If he was smart, he would just go ahead and kill him and have one less problem to deal with. "I'll call you as I finalize the plans. Don't call me again."

He hung up before the other man could say anything else.

Walking downstairs, he made his way into his study where his assistant was waiting for him. Randy ignored him as he went straight to the small bar and fixed himself a drink. Taking a sip, he let the alcohol burn a fiery trail down his throat as it calmed his nerves.

"Boss? Is everything okay?"

Settling himself into his leather chair, Randy smiled as he put his feet up on his desk. "Everything is just about perfect, Tucker."

"I heard a commotion upstairs…"

"Nancy and I just had a misunderstanding. Everything is fine now." He took another sip of the whiskey. "Under no circumstances is she to be allowed out of that room, do you understand? I don't care how much she pleads with you."

"Yes, sir."

"Good." Closing his eyes, Randy leaned back in his chair. "You can leave now, Tucker. You should try to get you some sleep."

"Yes, sir."

Randy smiled to himself as he heard the door close behind Tucker. How could things not be perfect—he had Nancy and pretty soon, he was going to be a very rich man.

_Practically perfect in every way…_

* * *

**Many thanks to my reviewers: Sophie, Angelvie S, Michelle Gallichio, and Alicia Hardy. **

**I know I have been updating this story quicker than my previous ones and it's because of you guys. I noticed that this story isn't getting as many hits and reviews and I know it's because it's a Nancy Drew story. I am being very deliberate by updating this story as quickly as I am because I want to show my appreciation for the ones who are actually giving it a shot. **

**So, thank you all!**

**As always, I apologize for any mistakes!**

**Until next time!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

* * *

**There is language in this chapter. You have been warned.**

* * *

For the first time since he began his line of work, Max didn't feel good about himself. Or the decision he had made.

It had surprised him with how hard it had been to leave Nancy behind with Randy Wolfe. The pleading look she had sent him as he walked out the door would haunt his dreams for days to come. He'd never seen anything so raw as the look of panic and terror on her face when she realized her was going to leave.

Sure, he'd seen his fair share of people being afraid, not knowing what fate awaited them. It wasn't as if his job was particularly easy—his sole purpose was to destroy a person's life, by whatever means he was hired to do. Sometimes they were innocent. Sometimes they weren't so innocent. He wasn't paid to take the time to sort them out. After all, he wasn't God.

But Nancy was different. She wasn't afraid of the unknown. It was as if she knew exactly what fate awaited her. He had finally seen the chink in her armor as soon as he had put his hand on the door to walk away from her. Never once had she begged him, even as he snatched her away from everything that was familiar to her. Yes, she had fought with him, but that had simply been instinct and survival on her part. She was human and it was human instinct to fight when threatened.

Max had finally glimpsed her first moment of weakness and he knew it had pained her to do even that—beg for help. She was alike him in that respect. And while he had hardened himself to the pleas of his victims, it had taken every effort on his part not to turn around and whisk Nancy away from Randy.

In the end, he'd had to walk away from Nancy and push her away from his thoughts.

So why was he still thinking about her?

_Simple, you idiot,_ a small voice in his head chided him. _You actually like her. _

Max shook his head, dismissing the thought as he walked outside to the idling black Tahoe. He couldn't afford to take the time to like anyone. It would only get him killed in the end. It was a weakness and one he refused to show for fear of someone watching.

_You're not made of stone, Max. Even you're human enough to have a heart._

The driver hopped out of the SUV, opening the rear driver's side door for him. "Would you like to go back to the airport, Mr. Grey?"

Max hesitated as he climbed into the vehicle. Without a doubt, that was where he should be heading, putting as much distance as possible between himself and Nancy. So, why the hell was he having a difficult time doing it?

"Mr. Grey?"

"No," Max said finally. "It's too late to fly out. Drop me off at the Kennedy Hotel."

There—a logical reason for his decision. It was past two in the morning, after all. He was just going to check into the hotel to get some sleep before he left town. It absolutely had nothing to do with Nancy and wanting to be a little closer to her.

_Sure…you just keep telling yourself that._

Max brought his fists up to his temples, rubbing at them a little harder than necessary, trying to quash the voice in his head. He could feel a headache beginning to form, putting it off to stress and exhaustion. Not the fact that he was beginning to go crazy and actually listening to the nagging voice of his subconscious.

He closed his eyes, leaning his head against the back of the seat as the car glided down the street. He must have drifted off because when he opened his eyes again, they were parked in front of the lobby of the Kennedy Hotel. He'd barely straightened himself in his seat before a doorman walked over to the door and opened it.

"Welcome to the Kennedy Hotel." The man who greeted him was heavyset, his skin the color of milk chocolate. Even this late—or early, depending on how you looked at it—he had a bright smile as Max stepped out onto the sidewalk. "Do you have any bags, sir?"

"Just the one, but I can carry it," Max answered, pulling his duffel out of the back. "Thank you, anyway."

"My pleasure, sir. Enjoy your stay."

Max reached into his pocket and gave the doorman a twenty as the Tahoe pulled away from the hotel. If it was even possible, the man seemed to brighten even further, thanking him profusely. Max just waved him off and went inside, the cold blast of air conditioning nearly knocking him off of his feet as he walked into the lobby. He made quick work of checking in, and within ten minutes he was walking into his tenth floor room.

He didn't even take the time to take in his surroundings, pulling his cell phone out of his pocket as soon as he'd closed the door behind him.

"Daniel. It's me," Max said as soon as the phone was answered on the second ring.

"_I take it everything went well?" _Daniel's British accent was clear, not even the slightest hint of fatigue in his tone even though Max was calling him at an ungodly hour. Max didn't have many people he could trust. In fact, he could count on one hand the people he trusted, and that left three fingers to spare—himself and Daniel. The other man had been his personal assistant for the last five years and pretty much knew Max better than he probably knew himself.

Walking to the mini fridge, Max took out a small bottle of Jim Bean and twisted off the cap. Tilting his head back, he let the amber liquid burn a trail down his throat, wincing at the bitterness of the alcohol. "I just delivered her."

"_Are you on your way back?"_

"Not exactly."

"_What happened?"_

"Nothing." Max let out a weary sigh as he sat down in the armchair by the window. San Diego twinkled back at him through the large picture window, but he found himself unable to truly appreciate the spectacular view. "I'm just tired. Figured I would stay here for the night."

"_What aren't you telling me?" _Daniel demanded. _"You know I'm too smart to fall for your bullshit, Max."_

"It's the girl. I—" Max took another swig from the tiny bottle, letting out a grunt as he swallowed it down. "I don't know what it is, Daniel."

"_Then get on a plane and get your ass back. I already have your next job lined up for you."_

"Don't you think I would come back if I could? I don't know what it is about her, but I can't leave this time. At least, not yet."

Daniel drew in a sharp breath. _"You like her."_

"Don't be stupid."

"_You're the one being stupid. She's a mark, Max. A job. Just like all the others."_

"That's what I keep trying to tell myself. And yet, here I am holed up in a hotel room because I can't stop feeling guilty about leaving her there."

"_Who would have thought the legendary Max Grey had a conscience?"_ Daniel was actually chuckling, which surprised Max since he'd barely known the other man to laugh at anything for as long as he'd known him. _"I'm actually surprised."_

"Shut up."

"_What makes her different than all the others? You've never felt this way before with any of the other marks."_

"I wish I knew." Max stared at the empty glass bottle, twisting it around on the arm of the chair. "Maybe if I did, I would be able to push it away and get the hell out of here."

"_I'm guessing you didn't call to talk about your feelings," _Daniel said after a moment of silence. _"What do you want me to do?"_

"Find out what you can about Randy Wolfe."

"_Who is he?"_

"He's the one who hired me to bring Nancy to him. She told me his name since he wasn't being so forthcoming with it. She seemed afraid of him, though she was trying to hide it as best as she could."

"_All of them are afraid. What sane person wouldn't be? You're like a friggin' Angel of Death, Max."_

Max rolled his eyes. "I'm sure you mean that in the nicest way possible."

"_Hell, no. I'm just telling you the truth."_

"She's different. I don't know why, but she is." Max stood up and walked over to the window, staring down into the city. "The entire time she was with me, she never showed an ounce of fear. She didn't plead with me once until I was walking out the door and leaving her with Wolfe."

"_There's not a single person I know who wants to die, Max. She's afraid of death, just like you or I would be."_

"Maybe…"

Daniel let out a long sigh. _"Look, I'll find out what I can. Do I need to book your flight for tomorrow—or rather, later today?"_

"Were not listening to anything I just said. I can't leave, Daniel."

"_Honestly? I was hoping you were having some kind of mental breakdown, but I can see that's not the case. I'll email you everything about Randy Wolfe. Get some sleep in the meantime."_

"That's likely not to happen," Max muttered, pulling the curtains shut across the windows, blocking out the twinkling skyline. "Thanks, Daniel."

"_That's what I'm here for."_

Max hung up the phone, slightly amused by Daniel's annoyed tone. Daniel rarely became aggravated with anything, but it had become a game for Max to see what buttons he could push when it came to his friend. While Daniel didn't necessarily like his idea, Max knew he would still work tirelessly until he got him every single morsel on Randy Wolfe that he could.

Padding to the bathroom, Max turned the taps on the shower to the hottest possible temperature he could stand. Shucking off his clothes, he climbed underneath the steaming jets of water. Resting his hands against the wall, he let out a soft groan as the water rained down on his back, feeling his muscles begin to relax.

For a few blissful minutes, he felt his problems washing away with the water down the drain and allowed himself to have that luxury. For just that moment, he could push everything out of his mind. He could pretend that nothing else existed except for him and the hot shower. There was no job, no worries, no feelings of guilt.

And just for a moment, there was no Nancy Drew.

* * *

Max was jarred awake hours later by the sound of his phone ringing on the nightstand. Jerking his head up from the pillow, he glanced at the clock, the angry red numbers displaying the time at just after five in the morning. Stifling a curse, he picked up his cell phone and saw it was Daniel.

"When I told you to get me information, I didn't expect you to call me back at five in the morning," Max grumbled as he turned on his back. "You're the one who told me to get some sleep. Remember?"

"_You really aren't a morning person, are you?"_

Max closed his eyes as he counted silently to ten. "You better have something for me, Daniel, or I will be on the first plane back in order to kick your ass."

"_Such hostility," _Daniel muttered. _"And yes, I have some information for you. I emailed it to you if you can be bothered to get out of bed and grab your laptop."_

"Just tell me what it says, Daniel."

"_And put all of my hard work to waste?"_ Daniel seemed slightly offended, but Max was too tired to deal with his hurt feelings.

"Daniel…"

"_Oh, all right. Fine." _Daniel let out a theatrical sigh. _"It wasn't too hard to find anything on Randy Wolfe. He was born in San Diego in 1985, had a good life growing up. Homecoming King and Prom King. Voted most likely to succeed by his classmates. After graduation, he went to Stanford but dropped out his junior year."_

"Any reason why?"

"_No. As far as I could tell, he was a great student—not a blemish on his record. After dropping out, he began to get into some trouble."_

"What kind of trouble?"

"_Minor stuff at first—vandalism, shoplifting, trespassing. Eventually, he escalated into robbery and assault. He spent about six months in jail before his father hired some hotshot lawyer and he got off on probation. After that, he left San Diego and showed up a couple of years later as an assistant cruise director aboard the Emerald Queen."_

"Emerald Queen? Why does that sound familiar?"

"_Because it was in the news for weeks a few years ago when a stolen cache of emeralds were found hidden on board. They had been taken in a major heist back in Miami. Turns out Wolfe was the mastermind behind the theft." _Daniel hesitated. _"Your girl was the one who found the emeralds and sent Randy away to a Rio prison."_

Max sat straight up in bed, clutching the phone tightly in his hand. "She was?"

"_Yes. Now you can see why he was so eager for you to find her. Anyway, from what I hear, Rio prisons are not something to write home about. He couldn't have been too happy with her, especially considering she was only eighteen at the time and managed to do what the police couldn't."_

"How did he get out of prison?"

"_Let's just say that the warden of the prison suddenly got a boost in his earnings for the year."_

"Do you know who footed the bill?"

"_Not yet. Give me a little more time and I'll even find out how he takes his coffee." _Daniel grew silent for a moment and when he spoke again, there was the slightest hint of worry to his voice. _"Given Wolfe's line of work, he had to have gotten help from someone pretty corrupt and rich. I think you're right to be worried about her, Max."_

"That's what I was afraid of." Max rubbed a hand over his face, trying not to yawn. "I don't know if I can leave her there, Daniel."

"_I was afraid you were going to say that. What do you want me to do?"_

"Get on the first flight to San Diego and meet me here."

"_What are you planning, Max?"_

"I've got to get her out of there. And I'm going to need you to help me do that." Max was already pushing the covers away and getting out of bed. He walked over to his duffel bag and pulled out a clean set of clothes.

"_I don't suppose there's any way I can talk you out of this crazy idea?"_

Max shook his head even though Daniel couldn't see him do it. "Would you leave her in there, Daniel?"

The other man let out a weary sigh. _"No. Dammit, Max…I'll call you in an hour to let you know when I'll arrive. Just promise me you won't do anything until I get there. You'll only succeed in getting yourself killed and you know how much I despise funerals."_

"Thanks, Daniel."

Throwing the phone on the bed, Max went to the bathroom to get dressed, a plan already forming in his head.

* * *

**There you go—a Max chapter. We'll get back to Nancy in the next one, but I felt Max deserved his own chapter. He's such a fun character to write and I am happy that y'all are enjoying him!**

**I would love to thank the following people for their kind reviews: Alicia Hardy, Guest, lys, Michelle Gallichio, SC15, and Paaps. I would also like to thank MCR-1993 for the PM—I appreciate you for voicing your concerns and I am glad I was able to answer your questions. **

**That being said, if any of you have questions, feel free to PM me or you can even find me on Twitter supernaturalsam. **

**I will try my best to update within a few days, but I may possibly have a hurricane to deal with since Isaac is heading my way. As always, I apologize for any mistakes!**

**Until next time!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

* * *

Nancy felt as if she was drowning as she tried to climb her way back to consciousness. Darkness seemed content to keep her cocooned in its hold, and while she longed to stay that way, a voice was telling her it was wrong. She needed to wake up, no matter how difficult it may be.

Letting out a soft groan, her eyes fluttered open only to close again as bright light assaulted her eyes. She tried to move her hands to block away the intrusive light, but they refused to cooperate. Thinking it was just her muscles refusing to listen to her brain, she tried again only to be met with the same result. It then occurred to her that it wasn't any fault of her own—something soft was fastened around each of her wrists.

She turned her head slightly and opened her eyes, an unfamiliar room coming into focus as she blinked groggily.

_Where am I?_

Everything suddenly came crashing back—Max kidnapping her, the flight to San Diego, Randy's leering face, Max leaving her, Randy bringing her up to the room before drugging her. Letting out a gasp, Nancy saw she was lying in a bed, her hands and feet strapped down. She began pulling at her restraints, not surprised when they barely budged.

_Okay, you have to calm down, Nancy. There's a way out of this—you just have to get a grip and figure it out!_

Wiggling up as far as she could, Nancy maneuvered the blanket away from her chest so she could look at what was holding her prisoner. Medical restraints—wool along the inside of the cuff, leather on the outside, and a large buckle that adjusted the tightness. She'd gotten out of them before. She just had to have patience and not panic.

"Easier said than done," Nancy muttered. But she took a deep breath anyway and began testing each of them, feeling them give just a bit. "Great. At this rate, I'll get myself free in a couple of days or so."

Letting out a sigh, Nancy fell back against her pillows, glaring up at the ceiling. That kind of negative thinking wasn't going to get her anywhere. But why shouldn't she be negative? After all, the last twenty-four hours had been one frustrating event after another. Not one single thing had gone her way so it didn't leave her feeling too optimistic at the moment.

Nancy was broken out of her depressing thoughts as a key scraped up against the lock. She quickly closed her eyes, trying to even out her breathing, wanting the unwelcomed visitor to think she was sleeping. Maybe they would just leave her alone if she pretended to be asleep all day.

Unfortunately, her stomach betrayed her as the aroma of bacon and eggs filled the room. Opening her eyes, she saw an unfamiliar man walk into the room, holding a tray filled with food, along with a cup of coffee and orange juice. He was of average height with light brown hair that curled at his temples, making him look young. He wore blue jeans with a light blue linen shirt and dark frames surrounded his eyes.

"I'm sorry," he said softly as he set the tray down on the bedside table to her left. "I didn't know if you were awake or not."

Nancy didn't say anything as she stared back at him.

"My name is Travis. I brought you some breakfast, if you would like to eat."

"I think that's going to be a little difficult." Nancy pulled against the restraints. "It's a little hard for me to do much of anything right now."

"Oh." Travis frowned as he glanced at her thoughtfully. "I'm afraid I've been instructed not to release you, but I can free one of your hands in order for you to eat."

"Instructed by whom?"

"My boss."

"Randy is your boss?"

Travis nodded as he lifted Nancy up and propped the pillows behind her back so she was sitting up. Then taking the tray, he set it across her lap. "Are you left handed or right handed?"

"Right." Nancy's eyes followed Travis as he walked around to the other side of the bed and released her right hand. She let out a soft sigh as she felt instant relief in her wrist, flexing it as she tried to work the circulation back. "Thank you."

"I should warn you if you try to do anything, I will have to drug you again." He waited until Nancy nodded before flashing a shy smile. "I hope you don't mind if I sit in here and wait for you to finish your breakfast."

"I'm thinking I don't have a choice either way."

"No."

Nancy picked up a piece of bacon and took a bite. "Have a seat then."

Travis walked across the room and took a seat in the chair next to the window. For the first few minutes, Nancy watched with slight amusement as he shifted in the chair, darting his eyes around the room as he tried not to stare at her as she ate. She got the feeling he wasn't entirely too happy with babysitting her.

"How long have you worked for Randy?"

Travis looked like a deer caught in headlights at the sound of her voice. "What? Oh, six months or so."

"Why did you start working with him?"

"I needed the money and he pays very well. I'm trying to pay back student loans and he's helping me do that."

"You mean he's actually capable of doing something nice?" Nancy rolled her eyes as she washed a piece of toast down with the orange juice.

Travis frowned. "He's not a bad person."

"I think you and I would have to disagree with that statement, considering he has me as a prisoner at the moment." Nancy frowned at Travis. "Doesn't it bother you to see me like this?"

"A little bit."

"Then why aren't you calling the police?"

"Because I know what Mr. Wolfe is capable of."

"I thought you said he wasn't a bad person."

"He's not…unless you betray him." He smiled at Nancy grimly. "And I have no plans to betray him."

Nancy let out a sigh as she put down her fork, her stomach content. She didn't miss the slight hesitation to his voice as he spoke about Randy. It was clear that Travis was afraid of him, and Nancy couldn't fault him for that considering her past experience with Randy. But maybe—just maybe—there was some way she could get through to Travis, make him see what Randy was doing was wrong.

"How was your breakfast?" Travis asked, watching her carefully.

"It was good," Nancy admitted. "But I am curious about it."

"What do you mean?"

"Why are you feeding me? I thought I was a prisoner and if I'm going by their usual diet, I should be getting nothing but water and stale bread once a day. Not a meal like this."

Travis shrugged as he stood up and moved the tray away from her lap. "It was Mr. Wolfe's orders. He said you were to be fed and kept healthy. I don't know anything other than that."

"So, you have no idea what he has planned for me?"

"Sorry. Just because I happen to work for him doesn't mean he tells me everything." He gently took Nancy's hand and fastened it back into the leather cuff. "I know this must be very hard for you and I really don't want to see you get hurt. You seem like a nice enough woman."

"Then why are you helping him do this? Why can't you help me?"

"I told you why. Your life is not the only one at stake here, Nancy. If I refuse to do what Mr. Wolfe asks of me, then he'll kill me as well."

Nancy shook her head as she stared at Travis, her eyes pleading. "I can help you, Travis. I can help you get away from him. I can make sure that he never finds you, if that's what you're afraid of."

"Now, now, blue eyes. There's no point in promising Travis something you can't deliver on." Randy sauntered into the bedroom, giving Nancy a chilling smile. "Especially since you have no chance of getting out of here alive. And really, what is it you think you can do chained to a bed?"

Travis jumped away from Nancy's bed, gathering the tray in his hands. "I-I wasn't going to do anything, Mr. Wolfe."

"I know you weren't, Travis." Randy kept his gaze on Nancy, refusing to look at the younger man. "You can leave us now."

"Yes, sir." With an apologetic glance at Nancy, Travis scurried out of the room, closing the door behind him.

"I trust you slept well," Randy said, sitting on the edge of Nancy's bed.

Nancy tried not to flinch as he touched her leg. "No thanks to you." She pulled against the restraints. "Is all of this really necessary?"

"Only the best for you, blue eyes."

"Stop calling me that."

"Why?" He trailed his hand along her leg, smiling as she shivered under his touch. "Does it remind you of our time together? You haven't changed much—perhaps gotten even more beautiful. I didn't think that was possible."

Nancy bit her bottom lip, refusing to allow herself to be baited by him.

"You don't agree with me?"

"What do you want, Randy?"

"You." His green eyes flashed with hunger as his gaze traveled the length of her body before coming to rest on her face. "I only want you, blue eyes."

Nancy shook her head in disgust. "You seriously went to all this trouble just to get a girl? And then knowing that she wouldn't give you the time of day, you had to tie her to a bed. That just makes you pathetic."

Randy let out a low growl. Before Nancy could comprehend what was about to happen, he was leaning over her, his hand gripping her throat. "Would you care to repeat that?"

"Get your hand away from my throat and I will."

"This is why I couldn't wait to find you, Nancy." He leaned forward until he was only inches from her face, his grip remaining on her throat. He didn't blink as he stared down at her. "You're the only one brave enough to challenge me. No one here has the nerve to talk back to me."

"Maybe because they refuse to see what a psychotic ass you are."

Randy ignored her. "Are you afraid of me, Nancy?"

"No," Nancy lied, keeping her eyes on his.

"Yes, you are. I can feel your pulse beneath my hand." He leaned closer until his mouth was beside her ear. "If you try to talk Travis into helping you again, I'll kill him and make you watch as I do it. Do you want that?"

Icy fear gripped her heart as she shook her head. She didn't care what happened to her at this point, but she would not let someone else get killed because of something she had done. It didn't matter if they were working for Randy or not. Besides, she found herself liking Travis, even though she'd only spoken to him for a short time.

"I can't hear you, blue eyes."

"No," she whispered. "I won't say anything else to him about it."

"Good girl. I'm glad we understand each other." He lifted his head, brushing his lips against her jawbone until he reached her mouth. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to cut our visit short, blue eyes. I have a very important charity function to attend tonight." He pressed his lips against hers. "Can I trust you to behave yourself?"

Nancy resisted every urge to turn her head away from him, knowing it would only make him angry. "Yes…"

Randy kissed her again, tugging gently at her bottom lip with his teeth. "I don't think I can. Who's to say you won't try anything while I'm gone?"

"I won't. I promise."

"But I need to be sure, Nancy."

Nancy shuddered beneath him. "What are you going to do?"

"What would you like me to do?"

"You don't have to do anything, Randy. I won't try anything, I swear."

Lifting himself up, Randy stared down at her before slowly smiling. "All right, Nancy. I'm going to give you a chance."

Nancy let out a small sigh of relief as he pushed himself away from her, feeling herself relax now that he wasn't on her. She didn't realize how afraid she'd been that he would try something until he'd moved away. She watched as he went over to the closet and walked inside, emerging a few moments later holding a silk scarf.

"What are you doing?" Nancy asked as he slowly made his way back towards her.

"I'm giving you a chance, blue eyes." Randy frowned as he tilted his head to the side. "You didn't think I was about to trust you completely, did you? I know you told me you wouldn't ask Travis for help again, but I can't take that chance."

Nancy tried to move away as he pulled the fabric taut in his hands. "Randy, please…"

"It's either this or I keep you drugged."

The last thing Nancy wanted was to be drugged again. "No drugs."

"I didn't think so. Lift your head." Randy put the scarf into her mouth before tying it tightly behind her head. "And just in case you're wondering about eating, you will get another meal when I return tonight. I wouldn't want you to tempt fate, after all."

Nancy grunted angrily through the gag as Randy walked away from her to the door.

"No need for an attitude, blue eyes. I would suggest you get some more sleep. I hear it makes the day pass by quicker."

With that, he turned off the light and closed the door behind him.

* * *

**Sorry for not updating sooner, but I've been dealing with a hurricane all this week. We got a lot of rain, wind, tornado warnings, and power outages, but luckily, no damage. Ah, the perils of living on the Gulf Coast. **

**Because of all of that, this is a shorter chapter. I had to end it here though or it would have gone on forever—and I don't like endless chapters. **

**Now, to thank my faithful readers and reviewers: MCR-1993, Angelvie S, Michelle Gallichio, George99, SC15, Alicia Hardy, and lys. I appreciate your support so much!**

**I apologize for any mistakes I may have missed!**

**And not to worry about Max…he'll ride to the rescue in the next chapter. (And no, that doesn't mean the story ends there!)**

**Until next time!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

* * *

Max was beginning to feel antsy.

That was a feeling he wasn't quite accustomed to, considering he always liked to be in control. But there was nothing he could do until Daniel arrived at the hotel. It was taking everything he had not to glance down at his watch again. It wasn't going to make Daniel arrive any faster—at least, he didn't think it would.

_He should have been here by now. Maybe something happened with the flight. I should call and check in with him._

Normally, Max wouldn't label himself as a worrier. He simply didn't have the time or the luxury to worry about anything. Whenever there was a job, he only knew that it was going to get done by whatever means necessary. There was no room for mistakes or second guesses. But ever since he had hung up with Daniel a few hours ago, he'd found himself worrying.

He was worried about Daniel arriving safely. He was worried about if they would be able to pull off their impromptu rescue mission, especially since he didn't have the experience. He was worried about Randy Wolfe and what the other man was capable of. Most of all, he was worried about Nancy and what would happen to her if he didn't pull her away from Wolfe. From what he'd learned about the other man, he knew it couldn't be anything good.

All he knew was that if he didn't get her out of there and as soon as possible, she was as good as dead.

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his cell phone and pressed the number that would connect him to Daniel. It was just beginning to ring when there was a knock at the door. Keeping the phone to his ear, Max looked through the peephole and let out a mall sigh of relief before hanging up the phone.

"I'm touched, Max," Daniel said as soon as Max had opened the door. He was holding up his phone with a smile. "You were calling to check up on me."

Max rolled his eyes as he stepped back to let the other man into the room. "I was wondering where the hell you were, considering your flight was supposed to arrive an hour ago."

"Security was a bitch." Daniel tossed his bag onto the chair before crossing over to the mini bar and opening it. A few seconds later, he was twisting the lid off a brandy. "My flight was wonderful, in case you were curious."

"You flew first class. How bad could it have been?"

"It could have been dreadful," Daniel said with mock horror. "Imagine not having an attractive stewardess to cater to your every whim."

Max chuckled as Daniel took a swig from the small bottle. Daniel was infamous for his womanizing ways, but he couldn't really fault the man for it. Women practically threw themselves at him once they heard the British accent. And it wasn't exactly as if Daniel was terrible to look at either.

"And yet somehow you managed." Max crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned against the wall. "Were you able to find out anything else about Wolfe?"

Daniel nodded. "If you were going to pick any night to make a daring rescue of our fair maiden, tonight would be the night to do it."

"Why do you say that?"

"Apparently, Mr. Wolfe will be attending a charity event for underprivileged children tonight at The Darlington House. A lot of celebrities are supposed to make an appearance there and he seems to be in the thick of it."

"Really?"

"Who would have thought that a psychotic criminal could have a soft side?" Daniel mused. "I suppose he wants to keep up appearances and whatnot. After all, he wouldn't want everyone to know he's holding a woman captive in his home. Imagine what they would think?"

Max arched a brow at Daniel. "Is the sarcasm really necessary?"

"Yes. I find that it keeps me young."

"And I find you impossible to deal with when you're like this."

Daniel finished the last dregs of the brandy, tossing the bottle in the small garbage can. "I'm sorry, but I still think this is an insane idea. You're risking everything to go back for this girl you just met yesterday. While you were kidnapping her, I might add."

"I already explained to you why I have to do this. You don't have to like it, Daniel."

"What is she going to think when you go waltzing back in just to take her once more?"

"I'm hoping she'll be grateful."

"Is that before or after she decides to kill you for putting her in Wolfe's clutches in the first place?"

"I was hoping before…"

Daniel let out a sigh. "I can see there's no way I'm going to talk you out of this. I just hope you are smart enough to know it isn't going to be easy."

"I never enjoyed anything that was easy."

"Yes, I know."

Max tried to bite back a grin, seeing the frustration on Daniel's face. "So, what time is this event that Wolfe is attending?"

"It begins at eight, so I'm thinking that he should be gone for a couple of hours. That hopefully gives us plenty of time to get in and retrieve the lovely Miss Drew before he returns. I can only assume he will be thoroughly pissed off when he finds her gone."

"You know what they say about assuming, Daniel."

"In this case, I am quite happy to make an ass out of myself since I know I will be correct." Reaching for his bag, Daniel pulled out a roll of paper and spread it out over the coffee table. "I took the liberty of obtaining the blueprints for Wolfe's home."

Pushing away from the wall, Max walked over to the small table to join Daniel. "As usual, you're brilliant, Daniel."

"And my next paycheck should reflect my brilliance."

"If we're successful in getting Nancy out of that house tonight, it certainly will." Max sat on the sofa across from Daniel and traced his fingers along the blueprint. "We came in through the door here and went through the corridor into his office."

"I'm sure we're safe to surmise she won't be anywhere near the office. He'll want to keep her somewhere that would be difficult for her to escape." Daniel frowned. "I'm not exactly seeing a dungeon anywhere on these plans."

"You honestly thought there would be a room labeled 'dungeon'?"

"It would be convenient." Daniel rolled his eyes at Max's amused expression. "He's a rich psychopath—how am I supposed to know what strikes up his fancy?"

Max ignored that. "I'm thinking he would want to keep her upstairs somewhere. That would make it a little more difficult for her to attempt escape since she would have to go downstairs in order to get out, meaning more chances of someone to stop her."

"So we're focusing on the second story. That's a starting point at least."

"Our most difficult problem will be getting past the guards. Wolfe keeps himself surrounded with them. I'm sure he'll take some of them with him tonight to the event, but we have to go with the presumption that he'll leave a few behind to watch Nancy."

"He'd be an idiot if he didn't," Daniel muttered.

"Which means good news for us."

"How is this possibly good news?"

Max smiled. "Just think of all that pent of frustration for me you'll get to take out of them tonight."

Daniel's grin was radiant as he looked at Max. "Well…what the bloody hell are we waiting for then?"

* * *

Max leaned down in his seat, keeping his binoculars trained on the house as a group of people emerged from the front door. Randy Wolfe was in the middle of the crowd, dressed in a tuxedo, his blonde hair glowing in the late afternoon sun. A Lincoln Town Car was parked in front and Max watched as Randy slid into the backseat, followed by a couple of his staff.

"He really seems full of himself, doesn't he?" Daniel asked from the driver's seat as a few of the security guards piled into another vehicle. "He must be really paranoid. Makes you wonder how he's footing the bill, considering he spent the last few years in an international prison."

"I highly doubt he's paying for it himself. There has to be some other player we don't know about," Max said, slinking down a little further in his seat as the gates opened and the cars pulled out.

"It wouldn't be surprising, knowing the people he's worked for in the past."

Max nodded, remembering some of the people from the dossier Daniel had put together. Drug cartels, jewelry smugglers, and traffickers to name a few. Randy had certainly put his foot in with some heavy hitters of the criminal world and from what he'd gathered, he was still in good standing with them all.

"So, how are we going to play this?" Daniel asked.

"We go in through the front. We may as well make our presence known from the beginning."

"The direct approach—I like it."

"I thought you would." Max sat up in his seat, putting the binoculars into the glove compartment. "Let's wait a little longer until it's dark and then go in."

"That's no fun."

"You'll have plenty of fun once we get started," Max said, grinning. "Remember—only use violence if it's necessary. I don't want to leave a mess behind."

"If I knew you were going to give me all of these rules, I never would have agreed to come along with you," Daniel said, letting out a theatrical sigh.

"Yes, you would have. You're a sucker for a good rescue mission."

Daniel scoffed. "You act as if you know me. I'll have you know, I'm not as predictable as you claim me to be."

"Whatever you say, Daniel."

"You just better be happy that I can actually tolerate you. I don't think there's anyone else in the world that could."

Max ignored him. "Did you get what I asked you for?"

"Of course I did. You'll be happy to know it's parked across the street behind those rose bushes over there."

"Good." Max glanced down at his watch as moonlight began to stream through the canopy of trees. "Let's get started."

* * *

Nancy felt as if she was about to go insane. Not just a temporary feeling of insanity but the reaching-her-breaking-point-send-her-to-a-padded-room-insane. It was the only way to describe how she was feeling after being strapped to a bed, unable to talk, and isolated from the outside world.

Not one single person had come in to check on her, not even to offer her a sip of water. Her mouth was dry and thick, the fabric of the scarf cutting into her face every time she moved even a fraction of an inch. If it was Randy's attempt to make her crack, it was close to working. Several times she had found herself questioning whether she should have just let him drug her. At least that way, she could actually get some sleep and not think about what he was going to do with her.

Being alone with no interruptions gave her plenty of time to think. And while she didn't mind that, especially when she was working a tough case, being in this type of situation made it absolute torture. She'd tried for hours to work her hands and feet free from the restraints but they only seemed to get tighter with each attempt. She didn't know if that was true or it was just her imagination playing games with her. Either way, she was frustrated and minutes away from losing it completely.

Moonlight trickled into the room, casting the room in deep shadows. That only seemed to stress her out even more—she was beginning to see things that weren't there. And it wasn't exactly as if she could do anything to defend herself and convince herself that nothing was there since she was hopelessly restrained.

Nancy winced as her stomach began to grumble, breaking the eerie silence as it reminded her that she hadn't eaten since breakfast. Randy had told her she wouldn't eat again until he returned from his charity function, and it seemed that he was staying true to his word.

_Friggin' bastard._

She wished he would just tell her what he planned to do to her. He honestly couldn't keep her locked up like this; she'd pretty much destroyed his life when she'd had him sent to prison. There had to be something else he had in store for her. Something so incredibly bad that he refused to tell her until right before it happened.

"Hey! Stop right there!"

Nancy's head jerked up at the sound of shouting. There was a loud commotion and it sounded as if it was happening right outside her door. She didn't miss the unmistakable sound of a fist colliding against a body, followed by a loud thud as a body fell to the ground. She'd been in enough scrapes in her life to recognize the sounds of a fight.

_Maybe it's the police. Maybe a neighbor noticed her being dragged from a vehicle last night and they called the police. But why wouldn't they have shown up sooner? Why wait until night to stage a raid on the house?_

The specifics didn't matter to Nancy. All she knew was that help was right outside her door and she wasn't about to miss her chance at freedom. She screamed as loud as she could through the gag, but even as she did it, she knew it would be a miracle if someone heard her.

_Please…please, come in here! I'm in here!_

There was the sound of something—or someone—pounding against the door. Nancy watched with wide eyes as the door shuddered with each resounding blow before finally flying open in a fantastic display of splintering wood.

Her heart immediately sank as she took a look at her would-be rescuer.

Max.

"We don't have a lot of time," Max said as he rushed to her bedside, immediately working on her restraints. "It's only a matter of minutes before Wolfe is notified."

Nancy honestly didn't know what to think of the man standing over her. Part of her wanted to lash out at him and attack him with everything she was worth, while another part of her was desperate to get out of the room and to freedom. The rational part of her brain won out, consoling her with the fact that there would be plenty of time to attack Max later. She managed to stay still as he tore at her bindings, finally releasing her.

"What are you doing?" Nancy demanded as soon as she tore the scarf free from her mouth. Her voice sounded hoarse, even to her own ears.

Max fixed her with a look. "I thought even you would be able to recognize a rescue mission."

"I see what you're doing. I would like to know why."

"We can talk about that later." Max took her hand and pulled her off of the bed, giving her a couple of seconds to regain her footing as she stumbled. "We have to get out of here. Now."

Nancy allowed Max to pull her along as they made their way out of the room and into the hallway. A couple of security guards lay crumpled on the floor but she didn't have time to worry about them as Max continued to run with her, taking the stairs so fast she had a hard time keeping up with him.

"Daniel, let's go!" Max yelled.

Before she could inquire about Daniel, Max was running out the door with her towards a stand of rose bushes. There, hidden from view, she saw a gleaming motorbike that was black with lime green stripes. It wasn't like any motorcycle she had ever seen—this one was obviously built for speed.

"Put this on," Max ordered, thrusting a helmet at her.

Nancy took it without a word, putting it over her head. She watched as Max straddled the bike, starting the engine with a thrust of his foot. It immediately rumbled to life with a loud roar. She hesitated as he looked back at her.

"Just get on the damn bike, Nancy!"

Before she could say anything, a series of shouts from the house grabbed her attention. Nancy glanced up to see several of the security guards rushing out of the house, guns in hand. She didn't have any more time to think about it. She climbed onto the bike behind Max, putting her arms around his waist, feeling him tense slightly beneath her touch.

"Hold on tight, Nancy! And for God's sake, keep your head down!"

Nancy leaned her head against his back, nodding as he shot forward onto the street, the sound of gunfire erupting behind them. Nancy tried to make herself as small as possible, tightening her grip around Max's waist as he sped off down the street, swerving in and out of traffic. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a Jeep pull out behind them, keeping close.

"We're being followed!" Nancy shouted to be heard over the roar of the engine and the wind whipping around her.

"That's Daniel!" Max shouted. "He's a friend—trust me!"

Trusting Max was still up for debate, but Nancy wasn't about to question it now. She was just about to ask where they were going when a bullet whizzed by her hear, making her scream. She could feel, rather than hear, as Max let out a deep growl before putting on another burst of speed. Nancy felt her stomach go up as he continued to weave in and out between traffic, the blaring horns of angry drivers fading in the distance.

Only one thought kept repeating itself in Nancy's head as Max flew down the road, rather seamlessly. _Please don't let me escape just to die in a horrible wreck. Please just let me make it through this alive._

* * *

**And there we have it—Max has come to the rescue!**

**I am still blown away that you guys love Max—he is just so much fun to write! And I can't forget about Daniel either—I'm having a blast with him as well!**

**I would like to thank the following for their reviews: Guest, dares to dream (welcome back, friend!), Michelle Gallichio (your comment absolutely made my day!), SC15, lys, Alicia Hardy (I am so flattered that this is becoming your favorite story since I know what a **_**huge**_** Hardy Boys fan you are!), and Angelvie S.**

**I apologize for any mistakes you may find.**

**Still plenty more action, suspense, and romance (wink, wink) to come!**

**Until next time! **


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

* * *

Growing up, Nancy had never been afraid of roller coasters or any other amusement ride where speed was concerned. After tonight, if she ever saw another one of those rides in her life, she was sure she would throw up on the spot.

It wasn't as if she had never been on a high-speed chase before. She'd had plenty of them in her experience as a detective. But usually, she was doing the driving or there was someone she trusted at the wheel. Either way, it didn't result her in praying as much as she had, clutching onto Max as he weaved in and out of traffic—the kind of traffic that should be impossible to weave yourself in and out of, even on a motorbike.

Add being chased by some gun-wielding psychos who weren't afraid to fire at innocent bystanders, and it was turning into one of the worst—and most stressful—days of Nancy's life.

"Where are we going?" Nancy shouted, afraid to lift her head. She'd already felt several shots whiz by her head and she wasn't about to give their assailants a better target to hit.

"Somewhere safe!" Max shouted back, turning suddenly to the right.

Nancy let out a startled yelp, clutching onto him even tighter. "Will you please be careful? Though I'm sure the freaks behind us wouldn't mind if I was splattered all over the road! It would make it easier for them to take me back!"

"I know what I'm doing, Nancy. Besides, they don't want you dead. You're much more valuable to them alive!"

"Really?" Nancy braced herself as Max took another sharp turn. "I think there happens to be a difference of opinion on the matter at the moment!"

"Trust me!"

"That's the second time tonight you've told me to do that! So far, it's still out to the jury!"

"I got you out of there, didn't I?" Max took another turn, a little slower this time. "I think we lost them, so you can relax your grip on me now."

Nancy loosened her grip around his waist just slightly, frowning when she didn't hear the squeal of tires and gunshots behind them. Max was right—they seemed to have lost them. At least, for the time being. "Did they give up?"

"Daniel probably diverted them so we could make our getaway."

Daniel. There was that name again.

Nancy lifted her head as Max slowed the bike down, pulling into a massive parking garage. They were in the heart of San Diego, Nancy noticed, tall buildings stacked against each other that seemed to go for miles. She frowned when she noticed the parking garage was attached to a hotel—The Kennedy Hotel, to be exact.

"What are we doing here?" Nancy asked, wincing at the loud pitch to her voice. She'd become accustomed to shouting above the motorbike's engine, but it wasn't necessary now.

Max pulled forward until he was in the darkest corner of the parking structure, away from lights and security cameras. He put down the kickstand and slid off the bike with ease once Nancy released her grip on him. "We're staying here—for the night, anyway."

Nancy frowned as she took off her helmet, shaking out her hair. She didn't even want to see what she looked like, knowing she had to be completely disheveled from the wind. "Is it safe?"

"Of course it is." Max looked slightly offended. "I wouldn't put myself in jeopardy, Nancy. I don't take chances with anything."

"Well, at least I know you're looking out for number one."

"I meant you, too. I'm not taking any chances with you, either."

Nancy felt herself blush slightly, but shook herself as she remembered he was the reason she was in this mess in the first place. "Why the sudden change of heart?"

Max shook his head as he took her hand, leading her towards the bank of elevators. She noticed that he kept mostly to the shadows, as if he was afraid to be seen. "We'll talk once we're safely inside the room."

"How about we talk now?" Nancy tried pulling her hand free from his grip, but he only tightened his hold.

"Look." Max whirled on her, staring down at her intently. "I know you're pissed at me and you have no reason in the world to trust me, even though I've been asking you to all night. Please, let's just get inside and I'll try to answer any questions you may have. It's not safe out here, Nancy."

Nancy didn't miss the edge of pleading to his voice. She knew she still wasn't out of danger and she had no guarantees that they weren't followed to the hotel. All of a sudden, she felt very vulnerable and open, almost like a deer caught in a hunter's sight. "Okay."

Max flashed her a grateful smile, taking her hand once more and hurrying towards the elevators. She watched as he pressed the button for the tenth floor, and they rode up in silence. She could sense his tension in the small, suffocating space and didn't miss the way his eyes watched as the floors went by, almost as if he willing the cart to continue on its trek without stopping. For once, luck seemed to be on their side as the doors finally opened on the tenth floor.

Stepping out of the elevator, Nancy followed Max down the hall until he got to the room. Sliding the keycard out of his pocket, he opened the door and ushered her inside before turning on the lights. A slight gasp escaped from her lips as she took in her surroundings.

The room was massive—obviously a suite, which didn't surprise her from the little time she had spent with Max. He seemed to like luxury and comfort and a lavish lifestyle, which she supposed she couldn't really fault him for. What person wouldn't enjoy living their life, never worrying about how much something cost and whether they could afford it or not?

A living area took up the majority of the space. A large sofa dominated the room, flanked on either side by a loveseat and a plush chair. A chestnut coffee table sat in the middle and in front of all of that was a massive entertainment center. Though the doors were closed, Nancy surmised that it housed a large screen television. There was a door to the left of that, which she guessed led into a bedroom.

She found herself walking towards the panoramic windows, the lights of San Diego burning brightly below them. The view was spectacular and if she currently wasn't fighting for her life, she might have enjoyed it a little more. As it was, the twinkling spectacle served as a reminder about how far from home she really was, not sure if she would ever get to go back.

All of a sudden, Nancy felt a heavy weight in her heart, her emotions threatening to spill over now that she was away from Randy. It would be so easy to collapse right there on her knees and allow herself to cry until there was nothing left. But then she remembered that she wasn't alone in the room and she refused to let Max see any weakness in her whatsoever.

"Room service should be up here shortly," Max said, startling her as his reflection appeared in the window beside her. "Sorry."

"It's okay," Nancy said, turning her back to the window so she could face him. "I guess I'm just a little jumpy."

Max nodded but didn't say anything. The silence dragged between them as they went from staring at each other, looking around the room, and back to staring at each other again. Now that they were out of danger for the time being, it felt a little awkward. After all, how was Nancy supposed to strike up a conversation with the person who had kidnapped her in the first place?

"So…this is weird, right?" Max asked, grinning sheepishly.

Nancy found herself chuckling. "A little bit, yeah."

"Did you want to sit down?"

"Sure." Moving past Max, she walked over to the sofa and sat down in the middle, sitting on the edge of the cushion. Max was right behind her, but instead of sitting beside her, he walked over to the loveseat and sat down so he was facing the door. Nancy had to admit that she was grateful to have a little space, even if it was just a few feet.

"Oh…did you want anything to drink?" Max asked, rising halfway out of his chair.

_Something really strong,_ Nancy thought. "No, I'm fine," she answered instead.

"Are you sure?"

Nancy nodded, rubbing her hands against her jeans. She had a million questions for Max but for some insane reason, she found it hard to ask any of them. She didn't understand what it was about him that made her uncomfortable and anxious all at once. Luckily, she was saved from saying anything when the door opened and an unfamiliar man walked in. She instantly tensed up, her body alert as she began to work out possible escape scenarios in her head.

"I think that was perhaps the most fun I have had in months, Max." The man was practically grinning ear to ear as he looked at Max before his eyes fell on Nancy. "You really are quite stunning, aren't you? No wonder Max was intent on going back for you."

Nancy felt her cheeks grow warm as she looked back and forth between Max and the newcomer before her eyes went to the floor. Suddenly, the tiny squares on the carpet looked very interesting to her.

"Ignore him. He tends to speak before his brain processes what he's about to say," Max said, standing up. "Nancy, this is Daniel. Daniel, this is Nancy Drew."

Daniel smiled as he walked across the room, holding out his hand for Nancy. "What Max says about me may be accurate, but I always speak the truth."

Nancy glanced up to see Daniel's eyes twinkling as he continued to hold out his hand for her. She couldn't help but be charmed by his accent and his personality. Tentatively, she reached out for his hand and placed it in his. She thought he was going to shake it; instead, he brought it to his lips and softly kissed her hand.

_Oh, yeah…he's definitely quite the charmer._

"And Daniel James claims another helpless victim," Max muttered with a roll of his eyes.

Daniel let go of Nancy's hand and straightened up. "Jealousy is not an attractive trait, Max. I simply cannot help that I am brilliant in all that I do."

"And modest, too."

"You're the one who was driving the Jeep behind us," Nancy said, breaking in between the banter.

"You noticed, did you?" Daniel asked, grinning.

"Were you followed here?" Max asked.

Daniel looked offended as he turned his eyes to Max. "Give me a little credit, Max. Do you think I would be here if I was followed?"

"I wasn't suggesting that—"

"Good." Daniel reached into the refrigerator and pulled out a small bottle of water. Twisting the cap off, he tossed it at the trashcan, satisfied when it bounced inside. "If you must know, I shot out their tires. When I glanced in the rearview mirror, they were flying through the air. Someone should have warned them about speeding on a damp road with bad tires."

He said it so casually, Nancy wondered for a second if he was joking.

"I never doubted your abilities, Daniel."

"I'm glad to hear it."

Max opened his mouth but before he could say anything, there was a knock on the door. Without a word, he rose from his seat and walked over to the door. Daniel took the opportunity to walk over to Nancy and take a seat next to her.

"Forgive me for my lack of manners, but are you all right?"

"I've been better," Nancy admitted, surprised that he was concerned about her well-being, considering she had only just met him.

"I imagine so. You've been through quite a lot."

"I guess I have."

"And to think, I thought Max was absolutely insane to want to go back for you."

Nancy tried not to let the shock show on her face. "It was Max's idea to come back for me?"

Daniel nodded. "And to think, I tried everything I could think of to convince him not to do it." He glanced up as Max closed the door, the enticing aromas of food filling the room. "He can certainly be stubborn about things, once he sets his mind to it."

She wasn't entirely sure how to answer that. She wanted to question Daniel further about his reluctance, but once Max rolled the cart of food to the middle of the room, her mind ceased from thinking as her stomach rumbled loudly.

Max frowned as he glanced at Nancy. "When was the last time you ate, Nancy?"

"Sometime early this morning." She rubbed absently at her bruised wrists. "Randy had his assistant bring me breakfast."

"I have to admit, I'm surprised he did that."

"Travis—his assistant—said he wanted me fed and healthy."

"Really?"

Nancy nodded, chewing on her lower lip. Her stomach rumbled once again and she winced, trying to will it to quiet down.

"Let the poor girl eat something, Max," Daniel admonished him with a stern look. "Then she can answer all of your bloody questions. I'm sure she has plenty of her own."

"We haven't actually had any time to talk," Max said as he removed the silver domes from the plates. "I wasn't sure what you liked, Nancy, so I ordered a little bit of everything."

"At this point, I think I could eat pretty much anything," Nancy admitted. She glanced over the array of food before settling on a steak with a baked potato and steamed broccoli. Taking the plate, she walked over to the small table and sat down, instantly digging into her food. She noticed with some relief that Max and Daniel were keeping their distance from her, which gave her some time to think.

Now that some time had passed, everything was slowly starting to sink in. Just twenty-four hours ago, she had been snatched off the street and flown across the country to land up in the waiting arms of a psychopath who wanted revenge on her. She'd spent the entire day tied up and helpless in a bed, only to be whisked away once more by the very man who had introduced her to this nightmare. And now, all of a sudden, he'd had a change of heart. What exactly was his game? Was he just trying to screw with her? Give her a false sense of security and then rip it away as soon as she let her guard down with him once again? Did he have some ulterior motive that she wasn't even aware of?

Nancy didn't realize she was shaking until her fork began to rattle against the plate. She instantly dropped it, taking a deep, calming breath. She had to get control of herself. As it was, several emotions were warring with her, vying for the top spot—anger, fear, relief. She wasn't sure which one she wanted to give the trophy to yet.

Fortunately, she didn't have to think too hard on it as Max appeared at her side, holding a glass of water. "I thought you might be—"

Launching herself out of her chair, Nancy knocked the glass out of his hand, ignoring it as it went flying across the room to shatter against the wall. She thrust her hands out, pushing him hard against his chest. "This is your fault, you son of a bitch!"

Max was momentarily stunned as he staggered back from the blow.

"You took me away from everything!" Nancy reached out to hit him again, but he seized her wrists, firmly but gently in his hands. She instantly began struggling against him, trying to pull herself free. "Don't you touch me!"

"Nancy, calm down." His voice was soft, almost soothing.

That only infuriated her even more. She brought her knee up to hit him in the groin, but he was a flash of movement before she could connect the blow. He twisted his body, keeping his grip on her wrists as he moved behind her, holding him against his body.

"Let go of me!"

"Not if you insist on hitting me."

"Let me go!" Nancy demanded again, struggling against him with everything that she had. She noticed Daniel watching them, his body tense as if he was waiting for the signal to jump in a help with the situation.

"Nancy, you have no reason to be afraid of me." Max maintained his grip on her, though it wasn't too tight.

"You're the one who did this to me, Max! You're the one who took me away from my home and brought me here and delivered me to that psycho! And now you're telling me that I shouldn't be afraid of you?"

"She's right, you know," Daniel said quietly.

"Shut up, Daniel. You're not helping," Max bit out.

All of a sudden, Nancy's body felt like a balloon deflating as all of the energy and adrenaline of the past few minutes drained out of her. Her knees buckled and if it wasn't for Max holding her, she would have fallen to the ground. She was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to sleep. "Why, Max? Just tell me why…"

Max didn't answer. Instead, he reached down and picked her up, lifting her easily into his arms as if she weighed no more than a small child. "We can talk later, Nancy. You need to sleep."

"Not tired…"

"You're exhausted," he argued, walking with her towards the door she had noticed earlier.

"Your room…"

Max shook his head. "I'll sleep on the couch. You can stay in here."

Nancy felt her eyes getting heavy as he carried her to the bed and set her gently on the edge. She watched through bleary eyes as he pulled the covers back. Then he was standing up and looking at her before his eyes went to her hands which she held in her lap. Her eyes followed and she saw that he was looking at the bruises and cuts encircling her wrists.

"Let me take care of that," he said, turning towards the bathroom.

"It's okay," Nancy said softly. "I've had worse."

Max ignored her as he walked into the bathroom, emerging a few seconds later with a first aid kit. Kneeling in front of her, he opened the kit and took out some antiseptic wipes, gauze, and antibiotic ointment. She didn't have the strength to fight him as he cleaned each of her wrists before wrapping them carefully and gently. When he was finished, he pushed the kit away and stood up.

Taking one of her hands, he helped her turn around on the bed. Once she was nestled in the middle, he pulled the covers over her body. She watched as he hesitantly reached forward and pushed a stray lock of hair away from her face. His touch was comforting, even though she knew she shouldn't be thinking about him that way. Not after what he had done.

Max reached over and turned out the light. "I promise that you're safe now, Nancy. I'm not going to let anything else happen to you. You have my word."

"Thank you," Nancy whispered, his words warm and comforting as sleep claimed her.

* * *

**A huge thanks to MCR-1993, Angelvie S, SC15, Michelle Gallichio, Alicia Hardy, and Jabba1 (thanks for giving my little story a chance!). I appreciate all of your kind words! I would also like to thank everyone who is reading and adding me to their follow/favorite lists!**

**I apologize for any mistakes that may have gotten past me!**

**Please let me know what you think.**

**Until next time!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

* * *

**There is language in this chapter. You have been warned. **

* * *

Travis never was a fan of crowds, which would explain why he always stayed to the shadows every time he attended a function. He'd never gone to a concert, ballgame, or anything else that would require him to be in a crowd. He felt as if he was being slowly suffocated by the stifling bodies—that now served as a problem for him, considering he was required to attend events and functions with Randy since he was his personal assistant.

It still didn't stop him from finding the darkest corner where he could still keep an eye on things and still be at his boss's disposal. It also helped that he was now on his third glass of champagne and it was helping to dull his anxiety to the point where it was just a nuisance.

"I would like to thank everyone for coming out tonight to support _Every Kid Counts_," Randy's deep voice reverberated through the speakers around the veranda of the Darlington House.

Travis couldn't help but be impressed as the crowd grew silent and turned as one to face Randy, where he was standing on a stage that had been set up for the band. It was hard to deny the other man had a commanding personality, not to mention he could charm any person—man or woman.

"It is because of your generous donations and contributions that we are able to begin work on a new music and theatre arts building for children," Randy continued, smiling at the crowd. "For a lot of our children today, they do not have the access or means to participate in the arts. Research has shown that a child who participates in the arts makes better grades, stays out of trouble, and is more sociable."

Randy stopped speaking for a moment as the crowd broke out into a polite round of applause.

"I can remember when—"

Travis was torn away from what Randy was saying as his phone began to ring. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his cell phone and moved into the house where he could have a little more privacy. "This is Hughes."

"_We've got a problem."_

"What kind of problem?" Travis asked, instantly recognizing the voice of Andrews. He'd been left in charge of guarding the house while they attending the charity event tonight.

"_The woman—she's gone."_

"Gone?" Travis lowered his tone as a couple of guests turned to look at him. "What the hell do you mean, she's gone? There was no way for her to get out of there!"

"_She didn't escape on her own…"_

"What do you mean?"

"_There were two of them—"_

Travis let out a sigh, running a hand through his hair. He didn't want to listen to any excuses. The less he knew about it, the better. All he did know what that hell was going to break loose when they got back to the house. Randy didn't like mistakes—and he certainly didn't believe in second chances. Travis had a sinking feeling this was going to be Andrews' last night on the job.

"I'll let Mr. Wolfe know. Don't mention this to anyone else." Travis hung up the phone, staring out the doors as Randy continued to talk to the guests. He was speaking animatedly, his hands moving as he worked the crowd.

Taking a deep breath, Travis walked back outside just has Randy was finishing his speech.

"Again, I would like to thank you all for coming tonight." Randy held up his champagne glass in a toast. "If you will please be seated at your designated tables, dinner will be served shortly." He nodded his head in appreciation as the guests gave him another round of applause.

Draining the last of his champagne, Travis handed his empty flute to a passing waiter and approached Randy as he stepped off the stage.

Randy smiled as he saw Travis. "How was that for a speech? I practically have all of these people eating out of the palm of my hand. It should make for a very successful night."

"Sir, I need to talk to you."

"You need to relax, Travis," Randy said, patting him on the shoulder. "This is a very important night. Mingle with the guests."

"I wouldn't be bothering you unless it was important," Travis argued. He fixed Randy with a serious look. "And urgent."

The smile slowly faded from Randy's face. "What is it?"

"I just got a call from Andrews…"

"Did something happen?"

Travis nodded. "The woman—she's gone."

"_Shit!"_ Turning away from Travis, Randy stalked up to the stage, a fake smile plastered on his face as he took the microphone once again. "I'm sorry to do this, ladies and gentlemen, but it seems as if I have an urgent business matter to attend to. I'll be handing over the reins to Miranda—she'll take good care of you in my absence." A petite blonde woman stood up from one of the front tables and waved at the crowd.

Travis had to practically jog to keep up with Randy as he stormed off the stage, the smile still plastered on his face. As soon as they were in the house, Randy's expression could only be described as one of rage. His body was practically shaking. He reminded Travis of a nuclear bomb about to go off, sparing no one in its path.

As soon as they were in the car, Randy whirled on Travis. "How the hell did this happen?"

"I-I'm not sure, sir," Travis stammered. "I didn't get any details from Andrews. I thought it would be better if you talked to him yourself."

"Oh, I'm going to talk to him. I'm going to rip his throat out for letting this happen!" Randy ran his hands through his hair, anger radiating off of him in waves. All of a sudden, he lashed out, punching the window as hard as he could, the glass cracking from the blow.

Travis said nothing as he edged away from his boss, knowing it was best to stay silent. It didn't stop him from saying a silent prayer for Andrews as the car sped down the road, towards Randy's house.

* * *

Daniel glanced up as Max exited the bedroom, closing the door softly behind him. He honestly couldn't remember a time when Max had looked utterly exhausted. His stamina and eagerness had always surprised him, especially the way Max was able to finish one job only to launch into the next one without pause. He figured it had to happen eventually—no one could continue full steam without breaking down somewhere along the way.

Amazing how it took a woman Max had only just met to finally get him to stop. Then again, women were powerful creatures. This, Daniel knew from experience. In fact, he would even go so far as to call himself an expert in the field of women. They were the only beings who could bring a man to his knees, make him fight for something he may not even believe in, or to lay his life down without hesitation. It was a gift that was very powerful and could be very destructive if not used with caution.

"How is she doing?" Daniel asked as Max sank down into the sofa, covering his face with his hands.

"She's exhausted."

"She's not the only one."

"I'm fine." Max let out a sigh. "Let's not forget that she more than likely hates me and would probably love nothing more than to rip out my throat."

Daniel smiled. "Can you really blame her? If I had been her, you would have already been a bloody mess on the floor."

"Then I suppose it's a good thing you're not her."

Despite his initial reservations about the rescue mission, Daniel had to admit he actually liked Nancy based on the little time he'd been around her. Of course, he like any woman who could stand up to Max, considering his friend was someone most people feared. Nancy didn't seem to be the type who cowered in fear—she was strong. Then, he imagined that she would have to be, especially after what she had been through in the last twenty-four hours.

Anyone else, he knew would be a blubbering mess on the floor. And while she finally did break down in front of them, Daniel didn't see her as weak. There was only so much the human psyche could take before it became too much for them to carry.

"So, what's the plan now that we've gotten her back?" Daniel asked, taking a sip of his scotch.

"We need to leave." Max moved his hands away from his face and sat up, propping his arms on his knees as he sat forward. "It's too dangerous for us to stick around here. I'm sure Wolfe's found out that she's not longer at the house and he'll be tearing the city apart to find her."

"You think?"

Max ignored him. "I know it's going to piss her off, but we can't take her back home—it's the first place he'll look for her."

"Where do you suggest we go?"

"Not Philadelphia. I'm sure the guards at the house recognized me, so Wolfe will know I'm behind her escape and he'll come looking for me." Max stood up and walked over to the window, gazing out distractedly.

"We could go to your home in the Keys," Daniel suggested. "The paperwork on the place is buried so deeply, it will take him months to figure it out. It may be our safest bet until we figure out what to do next."

Max nodded. "I don't see any other option at the moment. I know Nancy will probably hate it, but I promised her I would do everything to keep her safe."

"I know you and promises, Max. You'd die first before you went back on your word."

Max said nothing as he continued to stare out into the San Diego night.

"I know you want to do everything to protect her, Max. Hell, I barely know her and I want to jump on the bandwagon." Daniel stood up and walked to Max. "We have no idea what we've gotten ourselves into. This could be some very serious shit and it could get a lot worse."

"I'm not asking you to stick around, Daniel." Max turned around and fixed his friend with a serious look. "I would never ask that of you."

"I know you're not asking me." Daniel smiled. "And I never said anything about bowing out. If things are going to get worse, I want to be there in the thick of it. It's been an awfully long time since I've had any fun."

Max chuckled, rolling his eyes. "Your idea of fun terrifies me."

"And yet, you still keep me around." Turning away from Max, Daniel retrieved is laptop and sat at the small table in the corner of the room. "You should get you some sleep while you can. I'll keep an eye on things around here and get things moving so we can get out of here in the morning."

When Max didn't say anything, Daniel raised his eyes to glare at him. "I mean it—get some sleep. I won't have you being cranky in the morning because you refused to listen to me."

"There's one problem…"

Daniel couldn't hide the sigh that escaped his lips. "What?"

"I don't have anywhere to sleep. I let Nancy have my bed."

"And whose fault would that be?" Daniel asked, arching an eyebrow. He nodded to the sofa. "Toughen up, Grey—there's a perfectly good couch right there you can sleep on."

Max looked over at the couch and winced.

"It's either there or on the floor." Daniel flashed him a wicked grin. "Of course, you could always get another room and leave me here alone to guard our fair maiden."

"No, thanks." Max walked over to the couch and pulled off his shoes before lying down. "It's not that I don't trust you, Daniel. It's just that I don't trust what you'll attempt knowing there's a somewhat vulnerable woman who is only feet away from you."

* * *

Randy was practically breathing fire as the car sped towards his house. It had taken every ounce of self restraint not to throttle Travis, only because the other man was unfortunate enough to sit by his side. But he had to remind himself that it was his assistant that he was angry at—it was _her._

He didn't understand how she had managed to get away. She'd been tied to a bed, for crying out loud. There was no way in hell she would have been able to free herself from the restraints; he'd made sure of that before he left her alone in the room. Add to that, there wasn't anyone who knew she was even there. He'd made sure to cover his tracks as soon as he'd hired Max Grey to find her.

Which only left two options—there was either a mole in the house who had called the police as soon as he'd left or Grey was behind this. The latter seemed ridiculous to him; after all, Grey made his living by taking people. A very good living, if what Randy had paid him was any indication. He couldn't see the other man risking everything to come back for Nancy. As far as he knew, she meant nothing to him.

That could only mean there had to be a mole in his staff—someone who'd finally gotten a heart and felt guilty about what they had seen. That was a problem.

And it was a problem that Randy would soon rectify. There was going to be blood tonight. Plenty of it, if he had his way.

The car had barely come to a stop before Randy was pushing the door open and storming towards the front door. He barely acknowledged Travis as the younger man scurried to join him, keeping his distance at the same time. He couldn't blame Travis—even Randy was afraid of what he was capable of at the moment.

Andrews was waiting in his office, along with the other guards he'd left on duty. Randy didn't say a word as he strode into the room, the tension among the others palpable. He knew they were waiting for him to explode.

"Would someone care to explain to me what happened tonight?" Randy's voice was soft, carrying with it a deadly undercurrent. He looked around the room, taking notice of their fear and he relished it. They were smart to be afraid of him. No one seemed eager to speak up, though their eyes kept darting to Andrews. "I'm waiting."

Andrews cleared his throat. "There was a situation, sir."

Randy's smiled was chilling. "I am well aware there was a situation. What I don't understand is how the hell it happened."

"They took us by surprise," Andrews began. "There were two of them—"

"_There were six of you!" _

Andrews flinched as Randy screamed at them. He licked his lips nervously. "We never heard or saw them coming…"

Randy took a deep breath, trying to get his temper under control. "How did it happen?"

"They worked as a team and overpowered us. As soon as they were finished with one pair of us, they moved to the next. It was as if they'd rehearsed it."

Randy said nothing, continuing to fix Andrews with a level glare.

"Before we knew it, they were running out of here with the woman. They split up—one drove off with the woman on a motorbike and the other was in a Jeep. We managed to give chase, but they split up and we lost them."

"You lost them?"

Andrews nodded weakly.

"Did you happen to get a good look at either of them?"

The other man nodded again. "You're not going to like it though."

Randy smiled thinly. "Yes, because I have liked everything you've told me so far. Who the hell was behind this?"

"Max Grey."

"You're sure?" Randy felt as if someone had punched him in the gut. What interest could Grey possibly have in Nancy? Was it guilt? Or was he trying to work a different angle? Or could it be he actually had feelings for her? It wouldn't surprise Randy, considering Nancy had made him fall for her back in Rio.

"Yes, sir. It was Max Grey."

Turning away from Andrews, Randy walked over to his desk. Opening the middle drawer, he reached in and pulled out a small handgun. He stroked it lightly as he turned around to smile at the man sitting in front of the desk.

"I have to say, I am very disappointed in you, Andrews. You actually had a lot of promise."

Andrews eyes widened in fear. "Sir, I—"

"But I can't afford to let you get away with such an unforgiveable mistake. What message would it send to everyone else who works for me?"

"Just give me a chance—"

Randy took aim at Andrews' chest and fired, silencing his pleas. "I don't give second chances. You know that." He glanced around the room, delighting in the looks of fear and shock from the other men. "Does anyone have a problem with this?"

They shook their heads.

"Good." Randy walked back around his desk, returning the gun to its drawer before sitting in his chair. "What are you still doing in here? You should be looking for Grey and Miss Drew. I want them back alive."

They hurried out of the room, Travis following closely behind.

"Travis?"

His assistant turned around, trying to keep his eyes off of Andrews' slumped form. "Yes, sir?"

"Get someone in here to clean up this mess."

Travis nodded quickly before dashing out of the room, closing the door behind him. Randy let out a satisfied sigh, propping his feet up on his desk.

There really was no better way to end the night than with a little spilled blood.

* * *

**It wasn't my intention to exclude Nancy from this chapter, but when the characters speak, you don't ignore them. Especially someone as ruthless and evil as Randy Wolfe. Besides, to keep it flowing, I had to go this route.**

**I would like a say a huge thanks to all of my reviewers: MCR-1993, Michelle Gallichio, dares to dream, Angelvie S, lys, McKenna Evens (I am so happy you are giving this story a chance and didn't let the fact that it was a Nancy Drew story scare you away!), and SC15. Also, huge thanks to my newest followers!**

**As always, I apologize for any mistakes!**

**I also want to give you guys a heads-up: I am about to start a new story (Mortal Instruments fandom—if you haven't read this book series and like teen fantasy, I highly recommend them! They are very well written and so enjoyable, I have read them twice now!) so I will be dividing my time between the two. I still plan to update this story frequently, so don't fret! I just wanted to let you know in case I get a day or two behind my usual postings!**

**Let me know what you think and until next time!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

* * *

When Nancy awoke the next morning, she had a momentary flare up of panic as she looked around her unfamiliar surroundings. For a few terrifying seconds, she thought she was back with Randy and her escape from him had been nothing more than a dream. But then reality caught up with her and she realized she was in a hotel room, the heavy curtains blocking out any possible sunlight, though she could see a sliver of it streaming through the crack in the fabric where they didn't meet.

_Max's room._

Pushing the covers aside, she turned on the bedside lamp and noticed a neat pile of clothes folded on the small chair by the bathroom. There was a piece of paper sitting on top of them.

"_I had Daniel go out and pick you up some clean clothes. They should be close to your size. Feel free to take a shower. I hope you don't mind."_

It was signed by Max. She couldn't help but feel a little flattered and confused by the gesture. Gathering up the clothes, she made her way to the bathroom, closing the door softly behind her. She cranked the shower up to as hot as she could stand it, and soon steam was curling around the room, fogging up the mirror.

Undressing quickly, Nancy stepped under the torrent of water, unable to stop the soft groan from escaping her lips. It seemed like forever since she'd taken a shower. The water was soothing as it worked out the kinks and tension in her muscles.

She wasn't sure how long she stayed in there, but when she finally did emerge, the scent of vanilla wafted around her as she reached for her clothes. She was slightly surprised that the clothes actually fit—Daniel had bought a pair of blue jeans and a light blue blouse that brought out the color in her eyes. Once she was dressed, she ran her fingers through her long hair, working out some of the tangles.

Once she was somewhat satisfied with her appearance, she stepped out of the bedroom to find Max and Daniel sitting on the sofa. They both looked up as one, identical smiles lighting up their faces. Nancy couldn't help the tingle that went through her as Max's eyes trailed lazily up her body before finally settling on her face.

_Dammit, Nancy. Get a hold of yourself!_

"How did you sleep, love?" Daniel asked, nudging Max with his elbow. Nancy bit her lip, trying to hide her smile as Max jumped, before glaring at his friend.

"Very well…thank you." Nancy played with her hands, not sure what to do or say as she suddenly felt uncomfortable. It was almost as if she was on display for the two of them. "How about you?"

"Not well at all." Daniel's grin grew. "But then again, it would be difficult for anyone to sleep if you had to listen to Max snoring all night."

"I do not snore," Max said.

"It was as if you were a lumberjack, sawing logs until all hours of the night."

"I'm sorry," Nancy said, suddenly realizing that she had taken Max's bed away from him the previous night. "Where did you sleep?"

"You have nothing to apologize for, Nancy," Max said, his voice softening slightly. "You needed to sleep. Besides, I slept just fine here on the sofa. Just ignore Daniel—it's usually for the best."

"Yes, but it's impossible to do," Daniel amended.

"Would you like anything to eat?" Max asked, standing up. "I can call room service and they can bring something up if you want."

Nancy shook her head. "I'm not really hungry. I could use some coffee though, if you have any."

Daniel chuckled. "Of course we have coffee. It's vital to our everyday well-being around here. You could even say we're addicts when it comes to coffee."

Max moved across the room to a small cart that held a silver carafe along with two small dishes of what Nancy guessed was cream and sugar. "How would you like it?"

"Just black," Nancy answered. She watched as Max poured her a cup, taking it gratefully when he held it out to her. She didn't even give it a chance to cool down before she took a sip, a jolt of energy hitting her as the caffeine did its work.

"I'm going to head downstairs and get us checked out," Daniel said, standing up. "Our flight leaves at eleven so we need to make our way to the airport soon."

"Sounds good. I'll get everything packed up," Max said.

Nancy waited until Daniel left the room before she spoke. "Where are we going?"

"Away from here," Max said as he began moving around the room, picking up items to stuff into his duffel bag. "You're too much of a target."

"That doesn't answer my question. Where are we going?"

Max sighed. "I have a place in the Florida Keys. It's off the radar and it can't be traced back to me. I don't want to make it easy for Wolfe to find you."

"I appreciate the offer, but I can take care of myself."

"This isn't up for argument, Nancy."

"The hell it is," Nancy said, angered that he was making decisions about her without consulting with her first. "I have to get back home. I have finals this week, not to mention I'm supposed to graduate next week."

Max threw his duffel down on the plush chair, whirling around to face her. "And where do you think the first place he'll look for you will be? You can't go home, Nancy. It isn't safe. I promised you that I would keep you safe and that's what I'm going to do."

"What if I don't want you to help me?"

"Unfortunately, you don't get that choice."

"Are you kidding me?" Nancy put down her coffee cup on the table, before stalking towards the bedroom. She wasn't about to stick around and let him control her life. Like she had told him, she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. After all, she'd survived this long on her own.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm grabbing my clothes and getting out of here."

"I'm not letting you leave without me, Nancy," Max argued, following her into the room. "It's too dangerous."

Nancy turned on her heel, nearly making him crash into her. It was taking everything she had to hold her temper in check. "So, what exactly are you going to do, Max? Keep me against my will?"

"If that's what it takes."

"Like hell you are!"

"Nancy—"

She didn't give him a chance to finish as she slapped him hard across the cheek. She tried to hide her wince as her hand stung from the blow. Turning away from him, she went to retrieve her clothes. Max grabbed her arm, turning her back to face him. "Let go of me!"

"No."

Nancy hit his chest with her fist, trying to pull away from him. "Let go of me, Max!"

"Do you have any idea how risky it is for you now? Do you even care about what happens to you, Nancy?"

"Of course, I do!"

"Then act like it!" Max relaxed his grip on her arm slightly, his eyes blazing. "Everything that you keep telling me you need to go back to—your school, your life—it can wait until we figure out what the hell Wolfe wants with you! The only way you can do that is by keeping you alive and letting me help you do that!"

"I know exactly what he wants—he wants revenge!"

"If that was all he wanted, he would have killed you on the spot," Max argued. "Instead, he kept you tied to a bed like some possession of his."

"He's psychotic! How am I supposed to know what he's thinking?"

"There is another reason he wanted you, Nancy," Max said, his voice softening. "He could have easily grabbed you himself if it was just a case or revenge. Instead, he went to a lot of effort and paid a lot of money to hire me to do it."

Nancy slowly stopped struggling, staring up at him. She honestly didn't have an answer for him. The truth was, she'd spent most of her time trying to figure out what exactly Randy wanted with her, but her mind remained blank. Max was right—if it was just revenge and retaliation, he would have killed her as soon as they were alone.

"All I'm asking is that you come with me, and let Daniel and I figure out what's going on. Let me keep you safe, Nancy." Max let go of her arm, staring down at her in earnest. "Don't make me break my promise I made to you last night."

"I don't want to feel like a prisoner, Max…"

Max took a step back as if Nancy had slapped him again. "That's not my intention to make you feel that way, Nancy. I'm sorry if you got that impression."

Nancy glanced away from him, feeling slightly guilty though she couldn't fathom why. "If I agree to what you're asking of me, wanting me to come with you—I'll only do it on one condition."

"What's that?" Max asked, apprehension in his eyes.

"You don't keep anything from me. You let me help you find out what Randy is up to."

"I don't know if that's a good idea…"

"It's the only way I'll agree to this plan of yours. I won't be kept in the dark, Max, on some crazy notion that you're trying to protect me. I know Randy better than you ever will and you know that."

"Maybe…"

"There's no maybe about it." Nancy fixed his with a steady look. "It's the least you can do for me, considering you're the one who got me in this mess to begin with."

Max let out a sigh, shaking his head slightly. "You're not going to let me forget that, are you?"

"Not in the foreseeable future, anyway."

"That's what I was afraid of." Max ran a hand through his hair. Nancy figured it was probably the only nervous habit he had. "I promise I won't keep you in the dark, but you also have to make a promise to me."

Now it was Nancy's turn to be nervous. She had no clue what he would ask of her, but she had a feeling she wasn't going to like it. "What…?"

"You have to let me call the shots."

"But—"

Max held up a hand, silencing her. "I won't suffocate you, but if I feel it's getting too deep and dangerous, then that's it."

"That's hardly fair."

"I never said anything about being fair, Nancy."

Nancy bit her lower lip, unable to tear her eyes away from his ocean blue ones. He was staring at her with such intensity, it was as if he was trying to see into the very depths of her soul. If it had been anyone else, it would have made her uncomfortable. She couldn't even remember a time when Ned had been able to look at her that way and make her insides turn to jelly.

Max seemed to hesitate before he brought his hand up, caressing her cheek with his thumb. Nancy didn't move away, letting out a soft gasp as she felt a slight tingle as his skin touched hers. She vaguely wondered what it would be like to kiss him…

As if he sensed what she was thinking, Max tilted her chin up, bringing his head closer to hers. Nancy felt her body respond to his touch, lifting herself up on her tiptoes to meet him halfway. Her subconscious screamed at her, telling her that this was all wrong, but she ignored it. Max made her feel a way she hadn't felt in a long time, since she and Ned had broken up. She'd never entertained the thought of being with anyone else for the past year.

Max was bringing all that longing to the surface, making her realize how lonely she'd been. His lips were just brushing against hers when the door opened and Daniel's voice called out.

"If the two of you are ready, we should really get to the airport."

Nancy and Max pulled away from each other as if they had been hit with a jolt of electricity. As much as she wanted to, she couldn't help the blush that crept into her cheeks as she tore her gaze away from Max. Perhaps it was for the best that Daniel had interrupted them.

"We should really get going," Max said, his voice soft.

"You're probably right."

With a slight smile, Max turned and walked away, leaving her alone in the room. Nancy stood there for a few moments, trying to compose herself before she went out to face Max and Daniel. She couldn't hide the tiny stab of disappointment she felt in the pit of her stomach.

_It's for the best,_ Nancy told herself sternly. _You can't afford to complicate things right now. Besides, it would never work out with Max._

Giving herself a slight shake, Nancy squared her shoulders and walked out of the room to see the two men waiting for her. Once again, she found herself staring at Max, though he had his back turned to her.

_If it's such a bad idea, then why do I keep finding myself wanting to be with him?_

* * *

**A big huge thanks to the following for their reviews: MCR-1993, Angelvie S, Michelle Gallichio, McKenna Evens, lys (I will still be writing for this fandom—this is my home, after all!), and Alicia Hardy. I just love you guys so much!**

**I will be going back and forth between my two stories, so that's the reason I may not update as quickly as I have been. **

**I apologize for any mistakes I may have made!**

**Until next time! **


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

* * *

When Nancy stepped off the plane late that afternoon, it was almost as if she had stepped into a whole new world. A warm ocean breeze lifted her hair, blowing it around her face as the humid air hit her like a solid blow. Although it had been warm in California, it was nothing compared to the climate here. Humidity was something that took getting accustomed to—even people from the region had a difficult time with it. Her clothes instantly stuck to her body, making her feel as if she was wearing a parka instead of a thin shirt and jeans.

"I always dread coming here," Daniel muttered as he stepped up behind Nancy.

Nancy turned to gaze at him quizzically. "Why? Isn't this supposed to be paradise?"

Daniel shook his head. "Depends on your definition of paradise, I suppose."

"Okay. Then what _is _your idea of paradise, Daniel?"

"Somewhere a little more tropical, with no humidity," Daniel answered. "As I step off the plane, there is a beautiful woman waiting for me with a drink in her hand." Daniel fixed Nancy with an amused glace. "I don't suppose you have a drink anywhere near you, do you, love?"

Nancy smiled, flattered by his flirting. "Sorry…I left the mini bar in my other outfit."

"Pity…"

Max came up behind them, pressing a hand softly against Nancy's back as they began walking towards the car. Nancy found herself oddly comforted by the soft touch, feeling completely out of place in this unknown destination. She was surprised—and a little relieved—to see the car wasn't another Tahoe. If she ever saw another one, it would be too soon. Instead, a silver Infiniti greeted them though Nancy could see no driver.

"Where's the driver?" Nancy asked.

Daniel walked ahead of them towards the vehicle. Opening the passenger driver's side door, he smiled before giving her a small bow. "You're looking at him."

"Seriously?"

Max helped Nancy into the vehicle before sliding in beside her. "Things are a little too complicated for us to trust anyone else at the moment. We have to assume that anyone could be working with Wolfe, even if we are clear across the country now."

"What's to say that the two of you aren't working for him?"

"I'm going to try not to be offended by that statement," Daniel said, closing the door before opening his own and climbing into the driver's seat.

"You're right to be suspicious, Nancy. No one can hardly blame you at this point." Max turned slightly in his seat to face her. "I can assure you that I am no longer working for Wolfe. I only have your safety in mind from this moment on. I want you to be able to go back home and live your life, but you can only do that if we stop Wolfe…for good."

Nancy nodded. "I'm all for stopping him for good. The sooner the better."

"I believe we all agree with that sentiment," Daniel said as he pulled out of the private airstrip and onto the highway. "I would love to get back to my cushy desk job. Not nearly as much stress."

Max chuckled. "You've had fun, Daniel. Admit it."

"Never."

Nancy didn't miss Daniel's smile reflected in the rearview mirror. The way that Max and Daniel went back and forth with each other kind of reminded her of Frank and Joe Hardy. She felt a slight pang in her chest as she thought fondly of the brothers, wondering vaguely if they were on a case and how they were doing. It had been too long since she'd spoken with them.

"Are you okay?" Max asked softly.

"Yeah," Nancy looked up and gave him a reluctant smile. "Just thinking."

"If it makes you feel any better, you can just look at this as a vacation. Sure, it's an unexpected and impromptu one, but a vacation just the same."

Nancy nodded as the car glided down the road, water as bright and blue as Max's eyes. It went for miles and miles, the sandy white beaches reflecting the sunlight from above. It was almost too bright to stare at for a long time, the sand was so white. It was unlike anything Nancy had ever seen in all of her travels. Palm trees swayed softly in the ocean breeze and the beaches were bustling with tourists and locals alike.

"Where exactly are we, anyway?" Nancy asked, unable to take her eyes off her surroundings. Maybe Max was right—maybe she could look at this as a vacation.

"Sugarloaf Key—Lower Sugarloaf Key, to be more precise."

Nancy felt as if the air had been sucked from the car, leaving her unable to breathe for a few horrifying seconds. She reached forward, clutching the headrest of the chair in front of her tightly, her knuckles turning white. Sugarloaf Key—it was almost too much for her to take, and her mind rushed back to that almost fatal night in Rio with Randy.

"Nancy?" Max's voice was full of concern and panic all at once. "Daniel, stop the car."

"What have you done to the poor girl now?" Daniel muttered as he applied pressure to the brakes before pulling over onto the shoulder.

"Nothing!" Max protested before focusing on Nancy once again. She felt him take one of her hands in his, squeezing it gently. "Nancy, what's wrong?"

Nancy ignored him as she tried to focus on her breathing. She took a few deep, calming breaths trying to push the memories away. It was just a stupid name, after all. She was being insane letting it conjure up these feelings.

"Nancy—" Max's voice was sterner this time, but Nancy waved him off before he could say anything else.

"The name just caught me by surprise, that's all." She sat up, smiling weakly at the two men as they continued to stare at her. "The last time I was anywhere that had the name Sugarloaf in it, Randy was trying to push me out of a cable car."

"What are you talking about?"

Nancy let out a sigh. "In Rio—the night Randy was caught—I was trying to get to my dad to warn him. He was at a restaurant at the top of _Sugarloaf _Mountain. When Randy realized that I knew he was behind the emerald heist, he came after me and tried to kill me by pushing me out of the car as we were going up the mountain. My boyfriend at the time managed to save me before I could go…splat."

Max rolled his eyes. "That's not funny."

"It's a little funny if you think about it. Imagine a cartoon character doing it—then it becomes funny."

Daniel chuckled as he once again pulled out onto the road. "I truly do like this girl, Max. She's very witty."

"You're not helping, Daniel," Max muttered.

"No one told me I should be helping."

Max ignored him as he moved a little closer to Nancy. "Look, if it bothers you to be here, we can go somewhere else—anywhere else. Just say the word and we'll leave."

"It's fine, Max," Nancy said. "It's just me being stressed about everything and being silly over a name. I can handle it, I promise."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"How do I know you're telling me the truth?"

Nancy smiled sweetly, glad that Max seemed unsure of something for once. "You don't. You're just going to have to trust me."

Max smirked. "I'll begin to trust you as soon as you start trusting me."

"I'm here with you, aren't I?"

"That doesn't prove anything, Nancy. You're here because of your sense of self-preservation. You want to stay alive and you want to find out what Wolfe is up to. That has nothing to do with trust. For all I know, I'm just a means to an end for you."

Nancy opened her mouth to argue with him, but closed it just as quickly. How was it that Max could read her so well, and he barely knew her? Was she just using him? Or did she, on some deep level, trust him? It was too early for her to honestly answer that question.

"It's okay, Nancy," Max said, reading her expression. "I kind of expected that. In fact, I would be more worried if you put your complete trust in me. After all, you hardly know me."

"And you hardly know me," Nancy argued.

"True." Max was silent for a few moments as he stared at her. Nancy found it impossible to look away from him, no matter how much she wanted to turn her head away. "But I would like to."

"You would like to what?"

"Get to know you better."

Nancy glanced briefly at Daniel to see if he was paying attention to their conversation, but he seemed blissfully unaware. It could have been due to the fact that a couple of bikini-clad women were jogging down the sidewalk. Still, Nancy felt slightly embarrassed.

Luckily, she was saved from saying anything when Daniel slowed the car down and pulled into a gated driveway. Nancy found her attention riveted as Daniel rolled down the window and punched in a code, the gates swinging open to allow them entry.

Palm trees lined the long stone driveway and once they rounded a curve, a massive house came into view. It was an elevated white stone home with large picture windows, a grand staircase leading up to the double wooden doors. Gardens of bright, colorful tropical flowers surrounded the home and a three car garage flanked the right side of the property.

Nancy got out of the car as if she was in a trance, taking in everything around her. She couldn't remember ever seeing anything quite so beautiful.

"Just think…you haven't even seen the inside of the house or the backyard yet," Max said softly, appearing at her side.

"Well, if it's anything like this, it must be spectacular."

Max smiled. "Come on. Let's go inside and get something to eat. Then I can take you on a tour."

"What about Randy—" Nancy began.

"There will be plenty of time to worry about him," Max said, and his tone brokered no room for argument. "It won't kill you to take one night off, Nancy, and enjoy yourself."

"I really hope you're right about that," Nancy whispered as Max walked away, leaving her alone in the driveway.

* * *

"Sir, you have a visitor."

Randy glanced up from his computer screen as Travis spoke timidly from the doorway. For someone who was so resourceful, he surely could be weak at times. Randy wondered idly how he'd managed to survive this long. "I'm busy."

"I understand that, sir, but…"

"But what?" Randy fixed his assistant with a withering glare. "Stop screwing around, Travis, and tell me what the hell it is you want."

"Now, Randy, there's no need to be rude," another voice spoke up from behind the door, making Randy cringe. "He was just doing as I asked of him. I thought you would be happy to know he's doing his job."

_Shit._

This was not what Randy needed, not right now.

"Are you going to invite me in or should I just stand out here for the remainder of the day?" The newcomer seemed amused.

"Sir?" Travis asked, in that same timid tone.

Randy plastered a smile on his face, though he felt anything but happy about his surprise guest. He'd been perfectly fine with handling all of their correspondence by email or telephone. Randy still wasn't particularly happy that he was dealing with a "boss" of his own, but he didn't have much say in the matter since he was the reason he'd been released from prison. "Show him in, Travis."

John Krieger's smile was unsettling as he pushed past Travis and walked into the office. The man exuded confidence and commanded attention as soon as he walked into a room. Randy found himself feeling a little nervous, despite his usual carefree attitude. Randy learned from the beginning of their partnership that Krieger was not a man to be messed with.

Randy rose from his chair, holding out his hand to the other man. "John. I didn't expect you to show up."

Krieger glanced at Travis with a contemptuous glare, making the assistant scurry out of the room without looking back. "I have to say, I'm not very happy with you at the moment, Randy."

"If you came here to criticize me, you could have easily picked up the phone," Randy said, lowering himself into his chair. He really wasn't in the mood for any of Krieger's crap.

"What's the point in that when you've refused to take any of my calls?"

"Because I knew what you would say."

"Really?" Krieger seemed amused.

Randy narrowed his eyes at the other man. "Don't stand there and insult me, Krieger. Tell me what it is you want, or you can turn around and find the door. It shouldn't be too difficult. You found your way in here, after all."

"You would be wise to mind how you speak to me, Wolfe."

"And why is that?"

Krieger smiled. "Think about how easily I got you out of that hellhole of a prison in Rio. And then think about how easy it would be for me to throw you back in there."

"You wouldn't do that." Randy knew he was taking a chance, challenging Krieger. He couldn't help it, though. The man had an annoying way of getting under his skin. He didn't particularly like answering to anyone else, especially someone as egotistical as John Krieger.

"How do you know that?"

"Because then you risk getting yourself sent back to prison. An Egyptian one, if I remember correctly. Last I heard, Rio was like a palace compared to where they stuck you."

Krieger's smile thinned, forming his lips into a tight line.

_Gotcha._

"The way I see it, neither of us can afford to screw up." It was now Randy's turn to smile. "We are unfortunately in the same sinking boat."

For a few tense moments, Krieger said nothing. Randy was worried he may have pushed him too far. While they both may be criminals, Krieger certainly had more resources at his disposal, considering he was also a businessman. Both men stared at each other for what seemed like minutes before Krieger finally let out a sigh.

"Would you care to explain how Miss Drew got away from you?"

"Not particularly."

"Maybe I didn't make myself clear. I want to know how the hell she managed to get away from you when I've provided you with the best security team I could buy."

"She had help."

"Elaborate."

Randy didn't want to admit any error on his part. It had been his idea to hire Max Grey in the first place, even though Krieger had been against it. The last thing Randy wanted to hear was "I told you so"—especially not from him.

"I'm not a very patient man, Wolfe."

"It was Max Grey."

"The man you hired to grab her in the first place?" Krieger arched a brow. "The very person you were insistent on hiring because he was the best in the business?"

"Yes," Randy muttered, felling like a child who was being scolded.

"What interest would Gray have in Miss Drew?"

"We're still trying to figure that out."

"I suggest you work harder. Do you at least have an idea of where she might be?"

Randy shook his head. "Not at the moment. We got word that they were seen at an airport, but other than that, we don't know anything."

Krieger's eyes clouded over with anger. "I refuse to have this opportunity slip out of my hands. I trusted you to get Miss Drew because you assured me that you could do it. Is this going to be a problem for you, Randy? Should I get someone else to step in?"

"I'll find her."

"Good." Krieger took a step closer to Randy's desk, towering over him with a dark look in his eyes. "I seldom offer second chances, Wolfe. Consider this _yours._"

Randy swallowed nervously, trying to keep his face blank though he was feeling anything but calm and collected. He had no doubt Krieger would kill him in the blink of an eye.

"You have two days to find the girl. I don't care how you do it, but you find her." He straightened up, flashing Randy a bright smile. "If you don't, she won't be the only one going up on the block."

With that, Krieger turned and walked out of the office.

* * *

**And there is the boss that Randy has been answering to. I have always, **_**always **_**loved the character of John Krieger, and I've wanted to write him into a story for the longest time. And I know I haven't entirely answered what it is they have planned for her, but there was a little hint!**

**As always, I would like to thank my reviewers: lys, MCR-1993, Angelvie S, Alicia Hardy (your review cracked me up!), Michelle Gallichio, and SC15! You guys rock!**

**I also have to give Lady Emily a shout-out for being there to listen to my crazy ideas! Thank you so much, Em!**

**Again, I apologize for any mistakes!**

**Until next time!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

* * *

Nancy had to admit Max was right. The view _was_ pretty spectacular, no matter where you looked from in the house. And it felt nice to actually be able to take everything in and breathe. She'd felt as if she'd been running on full-speed since everything had begun, and this was the first time she'd been able to stop and relax. Sure, there was still Randy to deal with, but they could handle that later.

For now, she was going to take Max's advice and enjoy tonight.

And that was exactly what she was doing at that moment.

After dinner, she'd excused herself and made her way down the narrow path to the white sandy beach. It was marked as a private beach, reserved only for the residents and Nancy was happy to see that she had it all to herself. Walking to the water's edge, she sat down on the soft sand, and kicked her shoes off so she could put her feet in the warm, salty water.

The sun was just stetting to the east, painting the already too blue-green water in hues of yellows, pinks, and oranges. There was a slight, warm breeze coming off of the Gulf, blowing her hair around her but she did nothing to tame it. It actually felt really nice to be able to let go of everything and soak in her surroundings.

Nancy had never pictured herself living on the beach before, considering River Heights didn't exactly offer the opportunity to entertain such possibilities. In her travels, she'd been to countless beaches before, but nothing compared to this. It was just serene and beautiful and quiet, the only sound being the waves as they crashed softly against the shore. For the first time, she saw herself living somewhere quite like this, not having to worry about anything.

"Do you mind if I join you?"

Nancy titled her head up to see Max standing beside her. She'd been so entranced by the scenery around her, she'd never heard him walk up. She could have cursed herself—what if it had been Randy sneaking up on her? "Sure."

Taking his shoes off, he sat down on the sand, his lightweight chinos riding up slightly as he brought his knees up to his chest. "I've always loved coming out here this time of day. There's something very soothing about watching the sunset and listening to the waves."

"You sound as if you don't get to come here very often."

"I don't," Max admitted. "The last time I was here was last August, I think."

"Your job must keep you busy," Nancy said, wincing at the slight harsh tone she used. She didn't mean for it to come out like that—she was still having a hard time trusting Max and she couldn't exactly say she agreed with his career choice. After all, no matter how you looked at it, he was still a criminal and here she was putting her life in his hands.

Max said nothing as he continued to look out at the horizon.

"Where's Daniel?"

"Why? Does it make it easier to speak to me when he's around?"

"Honestly?" Nancy said as Max nodded. "Yes."

Max smiled slightly. "Daniel has a calming effect on people. He tends to keep me balanced and focused." Max glanced sideways at her. "He really seems to like you, which is something of an accomplishment. Daniel finds it difficult to like anyone, especially if they're unfortunate enough to be associated with me. He tends to be very protective of me."

Nancy couldn't argue with that. From the little time she'd spent with Daniel, he really seemed to stick close to Max, as if he was afraid something would happen at any given moment. She didn't miss the way he'd tried to jump to Max's defense when Nancy had attacked him back at the hotel in San Diego. "How long have you known him?"

"Years. I met him when I was living off the streets."

"You used to live on the streets?"

Max nodded. "When I was a teen. My home life wasn't exactly _Leave it to Beaver_. If my dad wasn't beating me, then my mother was shoving me off to anyone who could stand to be near me."

"I'm sorry…"

"I don't need any pity, Nancy. It was for the best—I learned to take care of myself."

"Still…for a kid to have no family and fend for himself, it must have been scary."

"It was. No one chooses to live on the streets because it's easy," Max said, letting out a sigh. "Sometimes, it's the best option. I could have become like my father, drinking myself to an early grave or I could have gotten out and learned to care for myself and make something out of my life. I chose the latter."

"So, why did you choose _this_ life?"

"I suppose I could have gone to college and become a doctor or a lawyer, but it didn't hold any appeal for me. Too many rules to live by. I wanted to do something that I had control over."

"But you work for other people."

"I freelance. Just because they pay me doesn't mean they tell me how to do my job, Nancy. I still get to make my own rules."

Nancy nodded, staring out into the water. Twilight was beginning to settle in, tiny stars dotting the sky above and reflecting back into the water. "So, you coming back for me…was that you making your own rules?"

"If that's how you want to look at it, yes."

"Have you ever gone back for anyone before or was I the first?"

Max was silent for so long, Nancy thought he wasn't going to answer her. "You're the first, Nancy."

"Why?" The question was out of her mouth before she could even stop it.

"I don't know." He smiled slightly. "I know you want some brilliant answer from me, but the truth is that I don't know. I can't figure out what makes you different from the others. There's something about you that just drives me crazy…"

Nancy arched a brow, not sure she should be offended or not. "I drive you crazy?"

Max immediately realized he misspoke. "I shouldn't have said it like that. That's not how I meant it."

"So, how exactly did you mean it?"

"I…"

Nancy smiled. "I actually have you at a loss for words."

"It doesn't happen very often, so you should consider that a victory," Max grumbled. The wind blew his dark hair across his eyes and Nancy had to resist the urge to push it back. Glancing at her, Max reached out and found her hand in the sand, his thumb gently caressing the back of it. He seemed mildly surprised when she didn't pull away. "There's something about you, Nancy…something that just pulls at me in a way I've never felt before."

"I bet you say that to all the women you bring home."

For an instant, anger flashed in Max's eyes, making Nancy realize that she'd said the wrong thing.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way…" Nancy chewed on her bottom lip, wondering why she insisted on pushing Max's buttons. "Maybe I should just go back inside. I tend to do less damage when I'm by myself."

He caught her hand as she stood up. "I'd rather you didn't."

"Why not? All I seem to be doing is saying the wrong things to you and pissing you off."

"You're not pissing me off, Nancy." Max gently pulled on her hand, making her sit back down beside him. "You would know if I was angry. Believe me."

"Max, I'm not exactly sure what it is you want from me."

"Right now, I just want you to sit out here with me and enjoy the view. It's been a long time since I've been able to just sit still and enjoy my surroundings." He angled his body so he was facing her before reaching out and smoothing her hair behind her ear. "And I'd rather not do it alone."

Nancy shivered slightly beneath his touch, warmth radiating throughout her body. Every time they'd gotten this close, something always happened to stop them from going any further. But there was nothing now—no people, no possible interruptions. And yet, Nancy still found herself reluctant to do anything, even though she wanted so badly to kiss Max. She wanted to feel his hands on her body and she wanted to touch his just as badly. She had no idea if he felt the same way.

"Max…"

Max said nothing as his hand moved away from her ear to cup her cheek. Almost as if they were magnetized, they moved closer to each other until their lips met.

There was just a momentary feeling of hesitation on Nancy's part but it quickly went away as she closed her eyes and gave in to the kiss, her mouth opening as his tongue sought out hers. It was a gentle, sensual kiss—not hungry, which surprised Nancy to some degree. She half expected Max to leap on top of her and bury her in the sand, he was always that much in control.

Nancy couldn't remember the last time she'd been kissed like this and it felt as if fireworks were exploding inside her. Heat was radiating off their bodies as Max eased her down onto the sand, continuing the kiss. Only the gentle lapping of the waves served as the only background noise as they lost themselves in each other.

And for that brief period of time, nothing else existed for Nancy.

* * *

Randy inhaled deeply as he walked through the doors of Mocha Madness, the aromas of specialty coffees permeating the air. Krieger had told him to use whatever means necessary to locate Nancy, and he'd immediately set to work as soon as the bastard had left his office that morning. He'd boarded a flight straight to Chicago, driving the short distance to River Heights. He knew Nancy wouldn't be here, but he knew her life was.

If he couldn't find her, then he was going to simply flush her out of hiding. It was ruthless and dirty, but he was past the point of caring. He couldn't count on his crack security team to do anything, so he was just going to have to do it himself.

On the flight over, he'd studied over everything that Travis had given him on Nancy and her life in River Heights. It wasn't much for him to look over, considering he already knew a lot about her. But he'd needed to go deeper—striking out at her family was just going to piss her off and it was too predictable. So, he decided he would go after her new life, the one away from her family and detective days.

He would go after her college life. And he would start with her roommate.

She was easy to spot with her shock of fiery, curly hair. She was sitting off alone in the corner of the coffee shop, a book opened in front of her and notes scattered all over the place. Walking up to the counter, he flirted with the barista until she revealed what the roommate was drinking and ordered another round, getting himself a black coffee.

Taking his order, he walked over to the table where the roommate was sitting, and held out the cup. "You look like you could use another one of these."

The redhead looked up, her green eyes wide. "I'm sorry. Do I know you?"

Randy smiled apologetically. "Sorry, I was sitting over at the counter and I couldn't help but notice you. You've been buried over here in your books for the last hour. I graduated a couple of years ago, so I recognized the symptoms of final cramming."

The girl's face slowly broke out into a smile. "Is it that obvious?"

"The only thing missing is you in your pajamas." He held out the coffee again, and this time the girl took it, smiling gratefully. "The barista told me what you were drinking. My name is Randy, by the way."

"Holly." The girl held out her hand for Randy and he shook it. "Would you like to join me? I could really use a break."

"Sure." Pulling out the chair across from her, Randy sat down and took a sip of his coffee. "What are you studying?"

"Psychology. My last exam is tomorrow and I'll graduate next week."

"Congratulations."

"Don't congratulate me until I pass it," Holly said with a laugh. "This hasn't exactly been the easiest week."

"What do you mean?"

Holly held the cup between her hands and took a tentative sip. "Between cramming for finals and all this senior crap, it's been a little hectic. Then with my roommate…"

Randy tried to hide his eagerness at the mention of Nancy. He turned his expression into one of concern, though he was anything but. "What happened with your roommate?"

"You haven't heard?"

"I haven't been in town the last few days."

"Oh." Holly shrugged and glanced out the window distractedly. "She hasn't been seen or heard from in a couple of days. And Nancy is totally not like that—she's been studying way too hard for her exams to skip out on them. The police say she left the library a couple of nights ago, but something must have happened between there and the dorm."

"Do they think she was kidnapped?"

Holly nodded. "They found her purse and cell phone on the sidewalk about a block away from the dorm. But no one saw anything and there hasn't been any ransom calls or anything. Everyone's kind of freaked around here."

"I would imagine so." Randy frowned for her benefit. "The police don't have any leads?"

"No. A lot of people are assuming she's already dead," Holly said softly.

"What do you think?"

"I don't think she is. She told me what she used to do before she started college, so I think her disappearance may have something to do with that."

Randy leaned forward, staring at her intently. "What did she used to do?"

"She was a detective. Pretty well-known one around here, actually. She's bound to have a lot of enemies from doing that. Maybe one of them got to her." Holly let out a sigh as she stared at her open book. "I really appreciate the coffee, but I think I better get back to studying. I'm not nearly ready enough for this exam."

"Sure." Randy stood up and smiled down at her. "I'll leave you to it, then. It was very nice to meet you, Holly. I really hope your roommate turns up."

"Thank you," Holly said with a small smile. "I really hope so, too."

With one last little wave, Randy threw his coffee cup into the trash can and walked out of the shop, a plan already forming in his head as he jogged across the street to his rental car.

* * *

"You were gone for a long time," Daniel commented as Max walked into the living room. His eyes narrowed when he took in Max's flushed complexion. "And you look very pleased with yourself, as well."

"Save it, Daniel," Max said, collapsing on the couch. He felt happier than he ever had in recent memory, knowing it was because of Nancy. They'd spent the last hour on the beach, lying in each other's arms and staring up at the stars and talking. He honestly couldn't remember ever doing that with another woman before.

It only showed him further the impact Nancy was having on his life.

It had never been his intention to kiss Nancy on the beach, but he couldn't deny he'd wanted to kiss her from the moment he saw her. He was very surprised when she didn't pull away and even more surprised as she kept the kiss going. He knew it was wrong; a part of him felt as if he was taking advantage of her. But he couldn't help the way he felt about her, and the feeling was getting stronger with each minute they spent together.

"What were the two of you doing?"

"None of your business."

"Where is she now? You didn't kill her and throw her into the ocean, did you?"

Max said nothing as he glared at his friend.

Daniel flashed him an innocent smile. "It's a valid question, given what you do, Max."

"She's taking a shower, if you must know." He nodded towards Daniel's open laptop. "What are you up to?"

"Going through all of Wolfe's finances, trying to see if I can find the source of his sudden influx of money."

"Have you found anything?"

"No. Whoever is bankrolling him is—" Daniel stopped as his computer dinged, signaling an incoming email. "That's weird. I just got an email addressed to Nancy."

Max stood up and joined Daniel at the bar, looking over his shoulder. "Open it and see what it is."

"That's exactly what I was going to do," Daniel said with an aggrieved sigh. "I don't need you to tell me what to do, Max. As much as that irks you."

"Just open the damn thing."

Clicking on the link, Daniel opened the email. There was nothing in the body of the email, just an attachment. Daniel didn't wait for Max to say anything as he clicked on the link, both of them silent while it loaded.

"Son of a bitch!" Max hit the bar with his hand as a picture appeared on the screen, revealing a young woman with fiery red hair. Mascara stained tears ran down her cheeks as she looked fearfully into the camera. She was gagged and bound hand and foot to a chair.

"Isn't that Nancy's roommate?" Daniel asked, his voice soft.

"The bastard's trying to draw her out since he can't find us."

"By going after her friends," Daniel muttered. "He went straight to River Heights, knowing it would be the quickest way to get her to come to him. Clever, really. He saves himself a lot of time by drawing her out instead of using all of his resources to look for her."

Max reached over Daniel and deleted the email. "I don't want Nancy to see this."

"You can't very well keep it away from her. If she finds out you knew about this, she's going to go ballistic."

"I don't want her to know anything about this, Daniel." Max's eyes blazed as he looked at his friend. "I'm serious. I won't have her running into a trap."

Daniel ran a hand through his hair and let out a sigh. "What do you want me to do?"

"Go to River Heights and take care of the problem yourself. Stay out of sight, though. Find the girl and get her out of there."

"Sounds easy enough."

"He's dangerous, Daniel. I want you to be careful." Max frowned, realizing the trouble he was sending his friend into. Randy was ruthless, there was no doubt about that. Max didn't think he could take it if anything happened to Daniel because of him. "Don't approach Wolfe unless it's absolutely necessary."

"What will you tell Nancy? She's going to notice I'm not around."

"I'll tell her you went to check out a lead. That will pacify her for the time being." The truth was, Max hated lying to her, especially after he promised he would keep her informed. But if lying to her kept her alive, then he could live with that.

Daniel closed his laptop and slid off the barstool. "I'll call you as soon as I know anything."

Max nodded. "Just stay safe."

Without another word, Daniel grabbed his overnight bag he always kept packed and walked out the door, leaving Max alone.

* * *

**I know, I know…I haven't updated in a while. But I have two very good reasons: life and I was writing another short story for you guys. It's a Halloween centered-story and creepy and scary and well, that's all I can say for now. I had to write it while the muse was strong—it simply couldn't wait. **

**The good news is that I finished it. **

**The bad news is that I'm not posting it until the week of Halloween because I am evil that way. :)**

**I would love to thank the following for their amazing reviews: Angelvie S, Michelle Gallichio, Alicia Hardy (thanks for the nudge!), lightwarai, Ealasaid Una, Lady Emily, KariAgaKhan, MCR-1993, SC15, SarahE7191, and Cupcake!**

**And another huge thanks to Lady Emily and her constant encouragement! **

**I apologize for any mistakes!**

**Until next time!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

* * *

Holly could officially say she was having the absolute worst night of her life.

It had started out innocently enough. After leaving the coffee shop, her backpack slung over her shoulder, she'd run into Randy again at the bookstore. She had to admit—she'd been completely charmed by him as they spoke in the coffee shop, so it was as if fate had intervened, screaming at her that she should give him a chance as he asked her to join him for dinner. Sure, she technically had a boyfriend, but they weren't exactly exclusive with each other, so there was nothing stopping her from hanging out with another guy.

And that was how she'd justified it to herself. She couldn't cheat on her boyfriend if she was just hanging out with another guy. Nick hung out with girls all the time and she never once thought of him cheating on her. So, what harm would it cause if she did the same with Randy? Besides, she desperately needed a break from studying and Randy seemed like a great guy.

That was, until he'd walked her back to her dorm. Holly never suspected anything was up with him, not even has he wrapped his arms around her body, holding her close to him. She'd actually been somewhat flattered and anxious as he stood over her, leaning down for what she hoped was going to be an epic kiss. It wasn't until she felt a rag covering her nose and mouth that she realized something was very wrong. The sweet-smelling odor instantly made her woozy and her eyes widened in fear as Randy's turned cold, the chilling smile he wore eliminating any of the charm she'd witnessed earlier.

A short time later, she'd awoken to a bright flash of light, realizing dimly it was a camera. Opening her eyes, she'd found herself tied to a chair with Randy standing in front of her, leering. She'd tried to scream but there was something in her mouth preventing it from happening. Panic instantly seized her, sobs wracking her body as she tried to figure out what exactly was going on. She had no idea where she was—it looked to be some abandoned building, a far cry from the bright, colorful dorm room she shared with Nancy.

_Nancy! _First her roommate had been taken and now her. No way had Holly thought this could be a coincidence. So, what the hell was going on?

"Smile for the camera, Holly," Randy said softly, the flash blinding her once again as he took another picture.

Blinking rapidly, Holly watched as he walked towards her laptop, hooking the camera up so he could upload the photo. She had no idea what he was up to; she only knew that she had been very wrong about him. She was well and truly terrified and prayed with everything she had that he wouldn't kill her.

A few minutes later, Randy closed the laptop and stood up. Walking towards Holly, he pulled the fabric out of her mouth and smiled down at her. "You did very well, Holly."

"Wh-where am I?" Holly asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Her throat felt dry and scratchy, as if she hadn't had anything to drink in a week.

"Well, you're certainly not in Kansas anymore."

"What do you want with me?"

"I need your help," Randy said. He grabbed a chair and turned it around so he was straddling the seat. His green eyes fixed on hers as he rested his chin against his arms. "Depending on how this works out, I'll have you back at your dorm before your first exam in the morning."

"Help with what?"

"I need you to help me find your roommate."

Holly shook her head, her red curls bouncing slightly. "I told you, she was kidnapped. I don't know where she is."

Randy smiled. "I know she was kidnapped. I orchestrated the entire thing. She was quite comfortable with me until she managed to escape."

"You took Nancy?" Holly couldn't keep the horror out of her voice. If Randy was the one behind Nancy's kidnapping, then there was no way he was going to just let her go, especially after telling her he was responsible. He had to know she would go straight to the police as soon as she was free.

"Well, I hired someone to take her." Randy's smile grew. "After all, I didn't want to get my hands dirty."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why did you take Nancy?"

"You told me you knew what she used to do before she decided to give college a whirl. You're a very bright girl, Holly. You were correct when you said it was probably someone she put away. I was the one she put away."

Holly shivered at the casual way he said it. There was no doubt in her mind that Randy was dangerous. She couldn't help but feel glad that Nancy managed to get away from him. "Why do you want me?"

Randy sighed. "Nancy has a very noticeable character flaw—she's very protective of the people closest to her. Since I can't find her myself, I'm going to bring her to me."

"You're using me to draw her out."

"I told you that you were a very bright girl."

"What happens when you find Nancy again? Are you going to kill her?"

Randy said nothing as he stared back at Holly.

"I'm not going to help you? I won't bring Nancy back here just so you can kill her."

"I'm afraid it's a little too late for that."

"What are you talking about?"

"I just sent an email to Nancy, showing her that I now have you. She'll come running as soon as she sees it." Randy smirked. "Like I said, Nancy has a weakness. And I'll do everything I can to exploit it to make sure I get my hands on her again."

Holly swallowed down the bile that was rising in her throat. She couldn't help but feel sickened by Randy, hating herself for even being fooled by his charms. Because of her, Nancy was very well going to run headfirst into a trap. Holly also couldn't help but be worried about herself as well. "Are you going to kill me?"

"I wasn't planning to, but…" Randy gave her a helpless shrug and it was all the confirmation that Holly needed. There was no way she was getting out of this alive. Randy was going to kill her as sure as he was going to kill Nancy.

"Please…" Holly begged, tears springing to her eyes. "Please, just let me go. I won't say anything, I swear."

"And there it is—the begging." Randy stood up, slowly walking to her. "I knew it was only a matter of time. You have a right to be afraid, Holly."

"Please…"

Without another word, Randy put the handkerchief back into Holly's mouth. Pressing a kiss against her forehead, he walked out of the room, leaving her alone to sob quietly.

* * *

Nancy couldn't stop the smile stretching across her lips as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. As soon as she'd closed her eyes and went to sleep, she kept replaying the previous night she'd spent on the beach with Max. The feel of his lips against hers, the firm but gentle way he held her against his body as they stared up at the stars. It was as if she'd stepped into a new world, where there were no worries about if and when Randy would find her again, and what would happen to her if he did.

As much as she'd been against the idea of hooking up with Max, she couldn't help but feel insanely attracted to him. He was exactly her type—tall, dark and handsome. But he was also very dangerous and she knew he could very possibly break her heart. Max was the first man she'd allowed herself to be open with since Ned. She knew she was setting herself up for disaster, but she didn't let it bother her.

What she had with Max was a fling—a caught-up-in-the-moment affair. As soon as they put a stop to Randy and his plans for her, they would go their separate ways, never to see each other again. Nancy tried to convince herself that was what she wanted, but her heart wasn't so sure about that.

"I'll deal with that when the time comes," Nancy assured her reflection. Tightening up the strap on her robe, Nancy walked out of the bedroom and into the kitchen, where the smell of bacon, eggs, and coffee wafted throughout the house. A small smile teased her lips as she saw a shirtless Max standing over the stove, his back to her.

"Good morning," Nancy said, feeling somewhat shy. She looked around, but didn't see Daniel anywhere.

Max turned and smiled. "How did you sleep?"

"Better than I have in the past few days," Nancy admitted as she seated herself at the counter. _And something tells me that it had something to do with you,_ Nancy added silently, feeling her cheeks burn at the thought.

"Me too, actually." Max stared at her for a few moments, seemingly lost in a trance. Nancy couldn't help but feel herself getting lost in his blue-green eyes. The way he was staring at her was making her body respond in a way that she liked. "Um, Max…"

"Yeah?"

Nancy nodded at the stove where smoke was starting to billow from the pan sitting on the burner. "I think you're burning something…"

Max's eyes widened a fraction as if he just realized he'd been cooking. "Dammit!" Turning back to the stove, he removed the pan from the fire and dumped the burnt remains of bacon into the trash can.

Ducking her head, Nancy tried to hide her smile. She had to admit, it was weird to see Max standing in the middle of the kitchen, cooking breakfast. It just seemed so out of character for him. She honestly thought he had a staff that waited on him hand and foot, giving him whatever he desired. But seeing him like this, somewhat domesticated, it made him seem a little more human.

"You look like you're trying not to laugh," Max said, breaking into her thoughts.

Nancy's head immediately shot up, her cheeks once again burning. "Sorry."

"Is it really that shocking to see me like this?"

"Sort of."

"Really?"

"It's not that I didn't think you could cook. It's just that I never pictured you in a kitchen." Nancy shrugged apologetically. "The only thing that would make it even funnier would be if you were wearing a frilly apron."

Max chuckled before opening the refrigerator and pouring them each a glass of orange juice. After fixing them each a plate, he brought everything over to the counter and set them down. Then he leaned over her and kissed her softly. "Good morning."

Nancy smiled against his lips. "I think we already established it was a good morning."

"Now it's better." Giving her another kiss, he sat down on the barstool beside her and took a sip of his orange juice.

"Where's Daniel?"

"He's following a lead," Max said after a brief hesitation.

"You found something?"

"We got word that Wolfe may possibly be on the move. Daniel flew out to see if he could dig up any intel for us."

Nancy frowned. "You let him go alone?"

"Daniel knows how to take care of himself, Nancy," Max said softly. "He'd never allow himself to get into a dangerous position. He values his life too much."

Nancy knew Max was right. Daniel seemed perfectly capable of taking care of himself. Still, that didn't stop her from worrying about the other man. She knew how dangerous Randy was and what he was capable of. Max and Daniel had just met him; they had no idea what he could do.

Max saw her trouble expression and tilted her chin up so he could look at her. "I assure you, Nancy. There's nothing to worry about."

"I know, but…"

Before she could say anything further, Max quieted her with another kiss. Nancy wanted to pull away from him, but she found herself lost in the feel of his lips against her. She wondered vaguely if Max would resort to this every time she questioned anything he did. And then she realized she didn't mind if he did it one bit.

What in the world was happening to her?

Max pulled away and pushed her plate towards her. "You should eat your breakfast before it gets cold."

Picking up her fork, Nancy dug into her eggs. Still, she couldn't help but worry about Daniel.

* * *

Daniel arrived in River Heights in record time.

As soon as he arrived in town, he started asking around and floating Randy's picture everywhere he went. It wasn't hard to pretend that he worked for law enforcement in pursuit of a rather dangerous criminal, considering it was partly true. After all, Randy Wolfe was a very dangerous man and one that needed to be stopped.

Besides, Daniel had to admit he was having fun with the assignment. He'd always enjoyed getting his hands dirty—he didn't get to do it quite often enough. Usually, Max's assignments went off without a hitch so there was no need for Daniel to do anything more than point Max towards his next gig. Maybe Nancy coming into their lives was a good thing.

Daniel certainly knew it was a good thing for his best friend. He'd never seen Max more alive since Nancy had stumbled into their laps.

He'd gotten confirmation that Randy was in town from the barista at the coffee shop. She'd been very willing to talk to him and Daniel had been only too happy to oblige with a little flirting. She'd practically melted at the attention he was giving her. He was pretty sure he could have even convinced her to rob a bank if he so desired, she was that gullible.

Randy hadn't done well covering his tracks. It was rather pathetic how easy it had been for Daniel to find his trail. Of course, Daniel was sure that Randy's confidence was getting in the way. After all, no one knew he was out of prison and had no reason to suspect he would have anything to do with Nancy's disappearance.

After just a couple of hours in River Heights, Daniel now found himself sitting in a diner across from an abandoned office building. It was in a prime location for holding a hostage. There were only a few other buildings around it, so noise wouldn't be too much of a factor. And it also served as a great vantage point for Daniel, considering he could blend in with the other patrons and keep an eye on the building.

He'd seen Randy walking in and out a couple of times, always locking the door behind himself. Daniel knew the front entrance was going to be off limits. He would simply have to find another way in. Unfortunately, the only thing stopping him from running in and grabbing the roommate now was the fact it was daytime. He'd rather have the cover of night—it made for a better quick entrance and exit. Daniel was confident that the girl would be safe until then.

Taking a sip of his coffee, Daniel glanced up as the bell above the door jingled. Randy Wolfe walked into the diner, giving the room a once over before settling on a booth in the back corner. Daniel kept his head down and pulled his phone out of his pocket. He was sure that Wolfe wouldn't realize he was working with Max, considering he'd never met him before.

_I've arrived. Found Wolfe. _After typing out the message, Daniel sent it to Max to wait for his reply.

Max's reply was almost immediate. _The girl?_

_He's keeping her in an abandoned building across from the diner I'm at. I'll get her tonight and come back._ Daniel took another sip of his coffee, before signaling the waitress for another refill.

_Be careful, _Max replied.

Daniel was about to reply when the bell above the door jingled once again. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw an imposing man with broad shoulders and silvery black hair that was slicked back. His face was rather rugged looking and even from this distance, Daniel could make out the triangular scar on the man's left cheek. The man surveyed the diner with cool, grey eyes before they seemed to settle on Randy. Daniel ducked his head as the man made his way past him and slid into the booth across from Wolfe.

_Looks like Wolfe just got company_, Daniel texted to Max.

_Can you get a picture?_

Letting out a sigh, Daniel lifted up his cell phone, calling up his camera application. Pretending that he was squinting at something on the screen, he surreptitiously snapped pictures of the pair, making sure he got clear shots of the newcomer. As if he sensed what Daniel was doing, the man lifted his head and fixed him with a glare.

Not wanting to be obvious about what he was doing, Daniel pretended to fiddle his phone as if it refused to cooperate with him. He couldn't very well hide it from view—it would be as if he was announcing to the world what he was doing. Instead, he made a big show of it, allowing his voice to get loud as he cursed at it.

"Stupid bloody phone!" he said before slamming it down on the table. Satisfied, the other man turned away from him and went back to his conversation with Randy.

When he was sure they were no longer paying attention to him, Daniel sent the pictures to Max. Then, taking one last sip of his coffee, he threw some money down onto the table and walked out of the diner.

* * *

Finishing up breakfast, Nancy stood up and gathered their dishes. She figured it was the least she could so, considering Max had cooked for the two of them. Besides, she never could stand the sight of a dirty kitchen and she especially didn't like the feeling of not being able to do anything.

Taking their dishes to the sink, Nancy stared out the window as she washed them. Once again, her breath was taken away at the beach before her, the waves crashing against the shore. She would have given anything to be able to wake up to this view every morning.

"You don't have to do that, you know," Max said, sidling up behind her.

Nancy smiled as she leaned back against him. "I don't mind. It's nice to have something to do."

Max kissed her neck, making her skin tingle under his soft touch just as his phone began to chirp. Cursing under his breath, he picked it up and read the message.

"Is it from Daniel?" Nancy asked.

Max nodded as he typed in a response.

"Is he okay?"

"He's fine," Max said distractedly as he got another message. His brow furrowed as he typed in another response.

Nancy turned around to face Max, the plate she was washing dripping water onto the tile floor. "Max, what is it?"

"Daniel found Randy. He said he's meeting with someone."

"You think it's our mystery person?"

"Possibly." Max glanced up at Nancy, smiling slightly. "He's going to send a picture. Maybe we'll get lucky and recognize who it is."

Nancy nodded, watching Max anxiously as they waited for Daniel to send the picture. It seemed like hours, but in actuality it was only a couple of minutes before Max's phone chirped once again.

"I don't recognize him," Max said, staring at the image on his phone. He turned it around to Nancy so she could see the picture.

For a horrifying moment, the world seemed to stop as Nancy looked at the picture, instantly recognizing the man sitting across from Randy. It was a face she never would forget, no matter how many years passed by. She barely flinched as the plate slipped out of her hands, shattering on the floor, the shards scraping her bare legs.

"Nancy? What is it? Are you okay?" Max pulled her away from the broken remains to the plate, shaking her slightly to get her to focus on him.

"I know who that is," she whispered, her blue eyes wide as she stared at Max.

"Who is it?"

"His name is John Krieger." She swallowed hard against the bile in her throat. "And if you think Randy Wolfe is bad, Krieger is your worst nightmare."

* * *

**A big thanks to the following people for their lovely reviews: Alicia Hardy, Michelle Gallichio, Angelvie S, lys, Ealasaid Una, SC15, Lady Emily, and Cupcake. You guys rock!**

**And a very special thank you to my beta and constant source of encouragement, Lady Emily! **

**I know I keep teasing you guys with the Halloween story—so allow me to be the first to tell you that I will begin posting it on October 25****th**** with an update every day leading up to Halloween.**

**Until next time, friends!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

* * *

Nancy barely felt Max's hands on her shoulders as he tried to steer her away from the kitchen and into the living room. Her mind was completely numb to anything around her—no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get Krieger's face out of her head. Even though the photo was slightly grainy, it was still enough to confirm her worst nightmares.

Dealing with Randy was going to be bad enough. Never in a million years did she ever expect to see John Krieger's face again. It turned out this week was just churning out her greatest hits, pitting her against people who should be rotting far away in prison. She honestly wasn't sure how many more surprises she could take.

"Come on, Nancy. Let's go sit down." Max's voice was gentle as he pulled her towards the sofa.

Nancy snapped out of her momentary shock, pulling out of his grasp easily. "I have to clean up the mess I just made."

Max was determined as he reached for her again, his grip on her firm, but gentle. "The mess can wait, Nancy. Come sit down with me and talk to me."

"But—"

"I wasn't actually giving you a choice."

Sighing, Nancy let Max lead her into the living room. She sat down on the edge of the cushy sofa, her hands clutched in her lap as she stared ahead of her, not really seeing anything out the picturesque window. She didn't want to talk. She didn't want to give Krieger any thought, whatsoever.

All she wanted was to convince herself that Krieger wasn't actually in the picture, that she was seeing things. It was a lot easier to deal with than to deal with the reality that he was back in her life and working side by side with Randy Wolfe.

"Nancy?" Max grabbed her hands and gave them an encouraging squeeze. "Who is John Krieger?"

Nancy shook her head, shooting a quick glance at Max. "He's no one."

"Obviously he is someone or you wouldn't look as if you've seen a ghost." He tenderly grabbed her chin as she tried to turn away from him, cupping her face. "We told each other we would tell the truth. Who is he?"

Closing her eyes, Nancy felt the warmth as his hand rested against her cheek. Just in that touch she felt his strength and she could sense he was trying to give some of that to her. Taking a deep breath, her eyes locked with his. "Krieger used to be the head of the Aquarius Group in New York City."

"What's the Aquarius Group?"

"It was an engineering firm that specialized in underground water exploration."

Max frowned. "How did you get involved with Krieger?"

"I think it may be better if I start from the very beginning." Turning around on the sofa, Nancy angled her body so she was facing him, tucking one of her legs underneath her. "It was a few years ago when myself and Frank and Joe Hardy, a couple of fellow detectives, were hired to pose as married couples by the State Department. We were under the assumption that we were trying to stop a kidnapping in Egypt, but we quickly found out that we were set up."

"Set up, how?"

"Our contact at the State Department, Jonathan Kimball, was a fake. It turned out that he was really John Krieger. Of course, we didn't find that out until sometime later. But the damage had already been done—we'd unknowingly smuggled parts of a bomb into the country."

"I don't understand…"

"Krieger had been close to working out a deal with the Egyptian government to look for water under the Sahara Desert. If he'd been successful with it, it would have meant a lot of money for him and the government. Most of the population of Egypt lives along the Nile River because it's the main water resource. If they found water underneath the Sahara, then it would mean development opportunities in the desert."

Max nodded, but didn't say anything.

"There was a U.S. Senator by the name of Michael Nasser who was supposed to help Krieger secure the deal with the Egyptian government. He was in Egypt to attend a banquet in his honor, but there were rumblings that he was going to back out of the deal with Krieger."

"I guess that didn't make Krieger too happy."

Nancy shook her head. "When he realized that we were on to him, he tried to kill Frank and me, along with one of his employees and his young daughter. He closed us all up in the tombs and it was luck that we were able to make it out of there alive."

Max's fists clenched in anger, but once again, he didn't say anything. Nancy couldn't help but he touched by his display of emotion. "Anyway, we arrived at the banquet and managed to get everyone out of there, including the senator. Then Joe and I disarmed the bomb before it could go off and Krieger and his partner were arrested."

"That's quite a story."

"Unfortunately, it happens to be how a lot of my stories go," Nancy said with a small smile. "Anyway, last I heard, Krieger was sentenced to many years in prison."

"Then how the hell did he get out?"

Nancy shrugged. "He has a lot of money, not to mention plenty of contacts. I'm actually more surprised that he didn't get out any sooner."

"If he's working with Wolfe, then I guess we now know how Wolfe managed to get out of prison." Max let out a sigh as he ran a hand through his dark hair. "The question now is why in the world would he be working with Wolfe?"

"If Krieger did his research on him, then he would want someone who would revenge on me as much as he does. Randy fits the bill perfectly. Not to mention, he's young, eager, and somewhat psychotic."

Max nodded. "But you said that Krieger was much worse than Wolfe."

"He is."

"Why?"

"Krieger doesn't need to get his hands dirty to get what he wants. He has plenty of people he can pay to do the job. He's very intelligent, ruthless, and very accustomed to getting what he wants."

Max frowned. "But you're not the only one who put Krieger away. Why isn't he going after any of your friends?"

"I'm sure he has his reasons." Nancy chewed absently at her thumbnail. "Maybe he decided to start with me before he moves on to Frank and Joe. Or maybe he figures he can hurt the two of them by coming after me."

"Is that true?"

"Yes." Nancy turned her eyes away from Max, staring at a spot on the floor. "Especially Frank."

"Do the two of you have a history?"

"Something like that…"

"But you're not with him now?"

If Nancy wasn't mistaken, she could have sworn she heard the slightest tinge of fear in Max's voice. She glanced back up to see he was staring at her intently, swallowing hard as he awaited her answer. "No, I'm not with Frank right now. If I was, do you think I would have kissed you last night?"

Max's body visibly relaxed as he smiled shyly back at her. "No, I guess you wouldn't."

"You're right. I would never do that to him." Nancy let out a deep breath, feeling some of the tension deflate from her body. Now that they knew for sure who they were dealing with, they could come up with a solid plan. It still didn't answer the question of what exactly Krieger and Randy were planning for her, but at least they had something now. "I need to go clean up that mess in the kitchen."

Before she could stand up, Max reached for her hand and pulled her towards him.

"Max, what are you—?"

He cut off her question as he softly pressed his lips against hers, cupping her face with his hands. Nancy was surprised by the suddenness of it, but her body relaxed as she returned the kiss.

"What was that for?" she asked when they finally broke apart, her lips tingling.

"Everything is going to be okay, Nancy. I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure that they can't hurt you."

Nancy couldn't help but feel comforted by Max's reassurance. She didn't realize how much she was really worrying about the situation until he'd said that. She had no doubt that Max would do everything to ensure that she stayed safe.

"Thank you, Max," she whispered before kissing him again.

Max smiled and took her hand. "Now, let's go clean up the kitchen and figure out what we're going to do next."

* * *

**Before you say it, I know I am a truly awful person for not updating any sooner. And I wouldn't have let it go this long if I wasn't sick for the last week and a half. I'm still not one hundred percent, having gone to the doctor twice this week. They still don't know what's going on with me but hopefully we'll figure it out soon. **

**It's a shorter chapter than I usually deliver and I apologize for it!**

**I would love to thank the following for their awesome reviews: SC15 (Congrats on being the 100****th**** review!), MCR-1993 (I am trying my best not to make this smutty), Angelvie S, Michelle Gallichio (The books are **_**The Nancy Drew Files #28 The Black Widow **_**and **_**A Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys Supermystery Secrets of the Nile**_**), SarahE7191, Alicia Hardy, and Sophie!**

**I would also like to thank Lady Emily for her gentle prodding in getting me to write again!**

**I apologize for any mistakes and I hope you enjoy. **

**Also, my spine-tingling Halloween story will be posted on October 25****th**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

* * *

Daniel was never good at waiting for anything.

It could possibly be classified as a character flaw, but for as long as he could remember, he couldn't stand to wait. It went with every aspect of his life. If he was sitting in a bar, he wouldn't wait for the women to make a pass—he'd the first to make it. He never ordered take-out because he didn't have the patience to wait for the delivery driver to arrive with the food. When he sought out information, he expected answers immediately.

Which was why he was about to go stir crazy. He'd been sitting in his car for the last few hours, keeping an eye on the abandoned building where Nancy's roommate was being held. He couldn't do anything until night, preferring the cover of darkness to make a daring rescue attempt. And that meant he had to wait.

And Daniel hated it.

It was as if the hours were dragging by, as if they were taunting him with each tick of the clock.

At least his vantage point had provided him with not only a view of the abandoned office building, but the diner as well. As soon as he'd left Randy and the other man in the diner, he'd immediately gone straight to his car, taking care to stay out of their line of sight. He couldn't have very well risked staying in the diner to listen to their conversation. Daniel had never been rash or reckless—the reason he'd managed to stay alive for as long as he had was because he was intelligent with the way he went about his missions.

There was no doubt in his mind that the other man with Wolfe was bad news. He could tell that from the way Wolfe had tensed when he'd seen him. It could only mean that the other man was the one who called the shots. After sending the picture to Max, Daniel wasn't surprised to find out that Nancy knew the other man as well. He would have been more surprised if she didn't. After all, someone didn't go to all this trouble for someone they didn't know.

Max had called earlier and gave him a brief rundown of Nancy's history with the other man—he'd found out his name was John Krieger. It certainly hadn't been pleasant. It was no wonder Krieger and Wolfe were intent on getting their hands on the poor woman, using any means necessary.

It made Daniel fear for Nancy's safety that much more. And while he had initially been against Max's harebrained idea to go back for her, he now knew they were doing Nancy a great favor. More than anything, he wanted to put Wolfe and Krieger six feet below the ground. They weren't about to get away with what they were putting Nancy through, and that started with her roommate.

Finally, after another few minutes, the lights went out in the office building. The side door opened and Randy slipped out, pulling it shut behind him. Then with a quick cursory look around the street, he slipped into his car and pulled away. Daniel ducked further down into his seat as the headlights washed over the car, not wanting to be seen.

Slowly rising up, he waited a few more minutes, keeping his eyes peeled in case Randy decided to make a sudden return. When he was satisfied that he was alone, he exited his car and grabbed a small bag from his trunk. Then, he jogged across the street, making sure to stick to the shadows in case there were any nosy onlookers.

Picking the lock was a piece of cake, taking him only about fifteen seconds to make his way inside the building. Obviously, security wasn't a priority, which only made his job easier. Slipping his lock pick back into his pocket, he pulled out his flashlight and began his search of the building.

Daniel carefully checked each room, looking for any sign of Holly. It wasn't until he was towards the back of the building that he began to hear faint, muffled sobs. He quieted his steps, his ears straining for which room the crying seemed to be coming from. As he got closer to the end of the corridor, he finally realized it was coming from the very last room.

"Figures," he muttered. "Why wouldn't he stash her away in the room furthest from the exit?"

Placing his hand on the door knob, he was surprised to find the door unlocked. _Guess he didn't figure Holly would make an escape attempt. _Something told him that if it had been Nancy in the room, there would have been armed guards, along with about a dozen locks keeping her imprisoned.

Opening the door slowly, his flashlight illuminated the room, revealing a young woman with bright red hair tied to chair. As soon as she saw Daniel, she began sobbing even more, screaming through the gag in her mouth.

"It's okay," Daniel said softly, holding up his free hand in a placating manner. "I'm not here to hurt you. I'm here to help you."

Holly struggled in her chair, shaking her vehemently.

Daniel let out a soft sigh, hating that he had to explain himself. He had no idea what the girl had been through, but he figured it couldn't be good, considering she had been trapped in the room with Wolfe. And if she was this skittish with him, someone who looked completely harmless, he knew he was correct with his assessment.

He slowly took a step towards her, giving her a patient smile. He knew his time was limited, not knowing when Randy would return. But the girl only grew more agitated the closer he got to her. Daniel knew he could have easily knocked her out and carried her out of the building, but it wasn't going to do anything to win points with her. Instead, he went for the other weapon in his arsenal.

"I'm a friend of Nancy's," Daniel whispered, nodding encouragingly at her when she stopped her struggles and stared at him with wide green eyes. "I'm not here to hurt you. I want to get you out of here before that man comes back."

Holly let out a soft whimper, nodding jerkily.

"Okay, good." Daniel reached out and pulled the rag out of the girl's mouth before stepping behind her. "My name is Daniel."

"H-Holly…"

Daniel flashed another smile at her before stepping behind her and working on the ropes around her wrists. "It's very nice to meet you, Holly. Of course, I wish it could be under a different set of circumstances."

Holly let out a choked laugh. "You-you said you were a f-friend of Nancy's…"

"That's right. I am."

"Wh-where is she?"

"She's safe."

"Are you sure?" Holly winced in pain as the ropes fell away from her wrists.

Coming around in front of her, Daniel knelt down so he could untie her feet. He glanced up at her, his eyes locking with her. "I promise you, Nancy is safe."

"Sh-she's not here, is she?"

"No. In fact, she doesn't even know you're here."

Holly nodded, wiping away her tears that were still trailing down her cheeks. "Good—he was using me to get her here."

"I figured that was his brilliant plan." Pulling the ropes away from her feet, he offered his hand and helped her to stand. Then reaching into his bag, he pulled out a bottle of water and opened it for her, smiling as she drank. "It's too bad that I happen to be a little more brilliant."

"Well, I wouldn't necessarily agree with that statement."

Holly gave a startled scream as the room was bathed in light, revealing Randy Wolfe standing in the doorway. "No…"

Randy flashed her a cruel smile. "I don't remember anything about saying you could get out of that chair, Holly. As I recall, I told you I needed you to get Nancy here."

"Well, that's not going to happen," Daniel said, pushing Holly behind him. "I'm afraid you're stuck with me instead."

"And who might you be?"

"Daniel James." Daniel slowly reached behind his back, going for the gun he'd tucked into his waistband. "It's an honor for you, I'm sure."

The corner of Randy's mouth twitched into an amused smile. "And how do you know Nancy? As far as I know, she never mentioned anything about you."

"Pity," Daniel murmured. He didn't want to goad Wolfe, but the temptation was simply too good to pass up. "We had an explosive night together last night. I would have thought she would have bragged to all of her friends about me."

Randy's smile instantly faded, a growl sounding deep in his throat.

"Sorry. Did I say that out loud?" Daniel shook his head, his hand closing around the handle of his gun. "I must learn not to kiss and tell."

"I know you weren't with her, which could only mean that you're an associate of Max Grey's."

"And you would be correct."

"Where is she?"

"Safe. And that's exactly how she's going to stay." It was now Daniel's turn to smile. "You didn't honestly think we would let her walk into a trap, did you? I mean, going after her roommate…that's a little too predictable, if you ask me."

Randy glared at him, his fists clinching tightly at his sides. "You really don't think I'm about to let you out of here, do you?"

Pulling his gun out, Daniel aimed it directly at Randy's chest. "Actually, that's exactly what you're about to do. I'm going to make sure my new lovely friend gets out of here safely and then I'll deal with you."

"Really?" Randy lifted his hands and stepped away from the door. "By all means, get the girl out of here. She's nothing more than a sniffling little brat anyway. I'd rather have a challenge."

Daniel kept Holly behind him as he backed up towards the door, keeping the gun aimed at Randy, his grip never wavering. "Holly, I want you to listen to me carefully. I want you to run to the diner and call the police. Do not leave the diner until the police arrive here, do you understand?"

"Y-yes," Holly said, her voice shaking as her wide green eyes stayed on Randy.

"Good girl." As soon as they came to the doorway, Daniel handed his flashlight to Holly and pushed her into the hall. "Run and do not look back. Go, Holly!"

"I told you, I don't care about the girl," Randy said with a shrug. "I actually figured Nancy wouldn't show up."

"Then why even take her?"

"Because I knew someone would come. I was hoping that it would be Max, but you'll do just fine."

Daniel couldn't help but shiver as a chill went down his spine. He suddenly had a very bad feeling about his rescue mission. All along, he'd been worried about Holly and getting her out of here alive, never thinking for a minute that he would be the one at risk. Randy seemed to pick up on that, because a smile slowly stretched out on his face as he glanced behind Daniel.

"Oh, good. You're here," Randy said, greeting someone behind Daniel. "You really should have come here with backup, Daniel."

Before Daniel could turn around and possibly defend himself, he felt something hard crash against his head. He let out a soft grunt, his eyes rolling back in his head as his body slumped to the ground. Before he completely lost consciousness, he heard Randy's voice.

"Looks like you're going to be the one to lead me to Nancy…"

* * *

**I am so sorry that it's taken me so long to update. We can put the blame on several things I suppose, but suffice it to say that life keeps getting in the way. All I ask is that you have patience with me and I will update as often as I'm able to. Also, as much as you guys would love for it to happen, there will still be no Frank and Joe in this story. As easy as it would be for me to give in, I have to stick with my original vision and intentions for this story. **

**That being said, I would love to take the time to thank everyone who has read and reviewed: Angelvie S, Michelle Gallichio, Alicia Hardy, SC15, Ealasaid Una, lys, McKenna Troy Evans, Lady Emily, SarahE7191, Cupcake, and MCR-1993. I appreciate all of you guys!**

**I would also like to thank anyone who has been reading and adding me to their alert/favorites lists!**

**And, last but certainly not least, I would love to thank Lady Emily for her guidance and support with this story.**

**I apologize for any mistakes.**

**Until next time!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

* * *

Max glanced at his cell phone, staring at the screen as he willed it to ring. It had been hours since he'd heard anything from Daniel and even though he knew his friend could take care of himself, he still couldn't help but feel a tinge of worry. Daniel was usually really good at checking in with him every hour, on the hour.

The fact that it had been three hours now made Max nervous.

So far, he'd been able to keep Daniel's mission secret from Nancy, but he honestly didn't know how much longer he would be able to keep it from her. Especially if things escalated, which he had a feeling they were about to, based on the lack of communication from Daniel.

Worst case scenario was that Daniel had been caught. Max knew with certainty that Wolfe wouldn't kill him, at least not until Daniel told him where he and Nancy were hiding. And knowing Daniel, he would never divulge that information, no matter how much Wolfe or Krieger tortured him. Daniel would never do anything to put Max in jeopardy—Max knew that for a fact. And while it was an admirable trait, Max couldn't help but feel frustrated that Daniel would put his own life on the line for his.

Max would be the first to say he didn't deserve it. Not with everything he'd done in his past. Surely, some form of retribution had to be coming his way. Max didn't want his friend to pay the price for him—Daniel meant to much to him, the brother he'd never had growing up.

Letting out an irritated sigh, Max ran his hands through his hair, staring out the window at the churning waters of the Gulf. The waves were crashing against the sandy shores, indicating that a storm was on the horizon. It was as if Mother Nature was telling him what was coming their way.

_I have to get Nancy out of here. We can't risk staying here if Wolfe figures out where we're hiding. Daniel would never forgive me if I didn't do something to get to safety._

"Max?"

Max turned at the sound of Nancy's voice, seeing her standing in the doorway of her bedroom. Once again, he found himself mesmerized by her beauty, wanting nothing more than to sweep her into his arms and make love to her like he'd done on the beach with her the previous night.

"I thought you were sleeping," Max said softly, feeling some of his anxiety melting away at the sight of her.

"I saw the light on in here."

"Sorry. I didn't even think about it."

"It's okay." Nancy pulled her robe around her body and tied the sash around her waist. "Is something wrong?"

Max forced a smile as she sat down beside him on the sofa. "Everything's fine."

"Max…you're forgetting that reading people is my area of expertise. I know something is bothering you." Nancy frowned. "Is it Daniel?"

Tapping the phone against the palm of his hand, Max let out a sigh. "He hasn't checked in with me in three hours."

"Is that bad?"

"Definitely."

"How bad?"

Max reached over and squeezed her knee. "Just let me worry about it, Nancy. You have enough on your plate."

"How bad is it, Max?" Nancy asked, ignoring him.

"Bad. Daniel always checks in with me every hour, no matter what."

Nancy paled slightly, shivering underneath his touch. "Randy and Krieger?"

Max nodded. "Very likely."

"What are we doing here, then?" Nancy started to stand up, but Max pulled her back down onto the sofa. "Max, we have to go after him."

"I'm not putting you at risk, Nancy."

"I don't care about putting myself at risk."

"Yes, I am well aware of that," Max said, gritting his teeth. "It's one of the things that drives me crazy when it comes to you."

Nancy's eyes flashed angrily for just a moment, and Max prepared himself for the argument he knew was coming. "We can't let anything happen to Daniel."

"Daniel knows how to take care of himself."

Jerking away from his hand, Nancy stood up and glared down at him. "You don't know what Randy and Krieger are capable of!"

"Nancy…"

"Don't you even care about what happens to your friend?"

Max stood abruptly, his eyes blazing angrily, making Nancy take a startled step away from him. "Don't you dare question my concern or loyalty to Daniel! He is the closest person I have to a family!"

To her credit, Nancy didn't back down. "Then do something, Max! We need to go after him and help him!"

"I told you I wasn't going to do anything to put you at risk, Nancy, and I mean it!"

"If you're not willing to do anything, then I will," Nancy said coldly, turning away from him and walking back towards her bedroom.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that I'm going after Daniel myself. It's me they want anyway. I'll offer myself up to them so we can get Daniel back."

Max felt as if someone poured ice cold water down his back. He had no doubt in his mind that Nancy was serious. If the prospect of Daniel being caught by Wolfe and Krieger scared him before, Nancy offering herself up terrified him. No way in hell was be about to let her sacrifice herself, especially not for his and Daniel's sake.

He didn't even think as he stormed into Nancy's room and grabbed her arm, jerking her towards him.

Nancy tried to pull away from him, determination burning bright in her big blue eyes. "Let go of me, Max."

"No."

"Let go of me!"

Max gripped her tighter, not caring if he was bruising her arm. "I'm not about to lose you, Nancy! Daniel and I have worked too hard to let you give yourself up so easily!"

"I have to do this, Max. I can't let anything happen to Daniel because of me!"

"Don't you get it, Nancy?" Max demanded, shaking her slightly. "That's exactly what they want you to do!"

"I don't care!"

"Well, I do!"

"Why, Max? Why the hell do you care what happens to me?"

"Because I—" Max stopped himself from finishing the rest of his statement. _Because I may possibly be falling in love with you. And I know how wrong that is, considering I'm the reason you're even in this mess to begin with. _

"Because what?"

Max swallowed hard, ignoring the pleading look in Nancy's eyes. "Because I'm not about to lose you, Nancy."

Nancy shook her head sadly. "Unfortunately, that's not good enough, Max. You can't stop me from doing this."

"And unfortunately for you, that's where you're wrong, Nancy." Pulling her close, Max unknotted the sash of her robe and pulled it away from her waist, leaving the robe open to reveal her pajama pants and t-shirt.

"What are you doing?" Nancy asked, fear creeping in her voice.

"What I have to in order to keep you from doing something stupid." Keeping his grip on her arm, he ushered her out of the bedroom and into the dining room. Pulling one of the tall high back chairs away from the breakfast bar, he brought it to the middle of the room.

Sensing what he was planning, Nancy tried pulling away from him. "Max, no. You don't have to do this. I won't do anything, I swear!"

"I wish I could believe you, Nancy. But you're just as stubborn as I am." He nodded at the chair. "Please, this is killing me to do this, but I have to do what I need to in order to keep you safe. Please, sit down, Nancy."

"Max…"

"We can do it like this, Nancy, or I can drug you and keep you locked up." Max shrugged helplessly. "I thought this would be a little more humane."

Nancy opened her mouth to argue with him, but closed it just as quickly. He only hoped she could see how much it pained him to do this to her, but she had to know it was for her own good. Resignation seemed to settle in her eyes as she slowly eased herself into the chair.

"I really am sorry about this, Nancy."

"Just get it done, Max."

Letting out a soft sigh, Max took her hands and put them behind her before looping the silk sash around them several times, bringing the other end down to wrap around her ankles, securing her to the chair. Standing back up, he was a little surprised to see she wasn't even trying to get free, almost as if she had no more fight in her. It was a complete one-eighty from the girl he'd met a few days ago.

"I want you to understand why I'm doing this, Nancy."

"You already told me, Max. You want to keep me safe." Nancy shrugged a shoulder. "You're right—I am stubborn. You have no reason to trust me when I said I wouldn't try anything. We both know that's not true."

"You're not mad at me?"

"Mad, no. Annoyed, yes."

"I can deal with annoyed. I'm used to people being annoyed with me." Walking back to the sofa, Max picked up his phone and pulled a chair in front of Nancy so he could sit down. "There's something I need to tell you, but I don't want you to get mad at me."

Nancy rolled her eyes. "Don't you know when you word something like that, the first thing a person will do is get mad? That's like telling someone not to bleed when you shoot them."

"Fair enough."

"Just tell me what it is, Max." One side of Nancy's mouth quirked up in a smile. "Besides, you don't have to worry about me killing you, considering you have me tied to a chair at the moment."

Max winced, not sure if Nancy was joking or a little more annoyed with him than she was letting on. "When I told you that Daniel was going after Wolfe, it wasn't because he was following up on a lead."

"What do you mean?"

"I already deleted it because I didn't want you to find it, but Randy sent us a picture by email to your attention."

Nancy stiffened in the chair, her gazed leveled on his. "What did he send you, Max?"

"Since he had no idea where to find us, he decided to draw you out." Max took a deep breath, knowing she was going to be pissed. "He went to Chicago and grabbed your roommate."

"What?" Nancy asked in a strangled whisper.

"As soon as we realized that he'd done, I sent Daniel up to retrieve her."

"You should have told me, Max. How could you not tell me this?"

"Because I knew you would have rushed in without any regard to the consequences, Nancy. Because I wanted to protect you!"

"You had no right to keep this from me!"

"I promised you that I would keep you safe!" Max yelled. "If that means keeping some things from you, then you're damn right, I'm going to do it! And you know what else? If I had it to do all over again, I would have done the exact same thing!"

Nancy shook her head slowly. "Holly's going to die because of me…"

"We have no proof that she's dead, Nancy."

"You said you haven't heard from Daniel in three hours."

"That still doesn't mean that she's dead."

Nancy blinked rapidly, but a traitorous tear fell and trailed down her cheek. "Too many people are paying the price for me, Max."

"You can't think like that, Nancy."

"It's true."

Standing up, Max knelt down in front of Nancy, wiping away the tear with his thumb. "Nancy, you can't carry around this guilt. It will kill you."

Nancy didn't say anything for a few moments, her eyes focused on a spot on the floor. Max watched as a myriad of emotions crossed her face before it finally rested on something akin to resolution. It was a look that shook Max to his very core.

"Nancy…"

"We can't let Randy use Daniel to get to us, Max. We don't give him the chance."

"What are you thinking?" Max asked warily.

"We change the game up. We give Randy exactly what he wants."

Max grit his teeth as he realized what she was hinting at. "Nancy…"

"But we do it on our terms, Max. I'm tired of hiding and running away. It's not who I am and I know it's not who you are." Nancy nodded, her eyes glowing as she looked at Max. "I say it's time we beat Randy at his own game."

* * *

**No excuses…I'm a horrible person.**

**I would love to thank the following for their reviews: Angelvie S, Michelle Gallichio, McKenna Troy Evens, SarahE7191, Alicia Hardy, SC15, Cupcake, and Unknown.**

**And a huge thanks to Lady Emily! **

**I won't even promise you when the next update will be since life has a way on interfering with my intentions. But I will update as soon as I can!**

**Enjoy and let me know what you think!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen**

* * *

Randy let out an aggravated sigh as he walked away from Daniel, ignoring the soft chuckles coming from the beaten man. By all accounts, he should have been unconscious by now, taking hit after hit for the last three hours. Randy wasn't sure if it was just pure resilience on the other man's part or the fact that he actually did have a hard head. Randy was betting on the latter.

"You can hit me all you want," Daniel said, spitting blood on the floor before smiling. "I'm still not going to tell you where they are."

"How long do you think you can keep this up?" Randy asked, rolling up the sleeves of his dress shirt.

Daniel smirked as he rotated his neck. "Well, let's see…we've going on about it for three hours now. I'm thinking I have at least another twelve hours before I require my daily beauty rest."

"Do you really think you're funny?"

"I think I'm hilarious."

Letting out a roar of frustration, Randy kicked a chair clear across the room as he made his way back to Daniel. Grabbing the other man by his shirtfront, he lifted him on the floor, chair and all. "Do you even care whether you live or die?"

"No."

"So, you're really willing to risk your life for some woman you don't even know?" Randy asked, giving Daniel a shake.

"I was raised to be a gentleman," Daniel answered calmly. "Besides, I would be more than happy to risk my life for that woman, especially if it keeps you and your friend from doing despicable things to her."

Randy clenched his teeth in anger. "Maybe if you're lucky, you'll get your wish." Letting go of Daniel, he took a step back before leaning down to smile cruelly. "And she'll still die right along with you and Max."

Daniel narrowed his eyes. "You still have to find them first."

"This is ridiculous, Wolfe," Krieger said from where he was sitting in the corner of the room. "It's obvious that he's not going to tell us anything. We should just cut our losses and kill him already."

"If you kill me, then it kind of defeats your purpose, don't you think?" Daniel asked, glancing over at Krieger.

"Not at all. If we kill you, I'm sure both Ms. Drew and Mr. Gray will come running," Krieger said, still hiding in the shadows.

"I'm beginning to like the sound of this plan," Randy said, smiling for the first time in a while. "I kill you now and it does two things for me. One, I no longer have to listen to the sound of your annoying voice."

"Annoying?" Daniel scoffed. "I will have you know that my voice has never been considered annoying. Delightful, yes."

"And, two," Randy went on as if Daniel didn't even speak. "I bring Nancy and Max right to me with very little effort on my part."

Before Daniel could say anything, the ringing of the phone interrupted them. Reaching into his pocket, Randy pulled out his cell phone and answered it. "You better be calling me with good news." A slow smile tugged at his lips as he listened to the person on the other end, before hanging up.

"I'm going to have to assume that it's good news, considering the Cheshire grin that's decorating your face," Daniel said, with a heavy sigh. "You might as well spit it out already."

Randy ignored Daniel as he glanced at Krieger. "Looks like everything is a go. We'll be ready to begin as soon as Nancy shows up."

As if on cue, the front door swung open, revealing Nancy standing there with her arms crossed over her chest. "I heard you were looking for me."

* * *

Nancy had to admit that her heart was about to thump out of her chest as she stood in the doorway, staring at Randy and Krieger. She tried to ignore the fact that Daniel was sitting bound to a chair, his eyes screaming at her to turn away and run. But she couldn't do that; she would never be able to forgive herself if she chose her life over Daniel's.

Who was she to decide that her life was more important than anyone else?

All she wanted was to put an end to Randy's twisted game, once and for all. And that was what she spent the better part of the flight explaining to Max. To say he wasn't happy with her sacrificial plan would be the biggest understatement of the week. To be honest, he had been livid. She was surprised he hadn't taken control of the plane himself and turned them back around to the Keys.

But in the end, Max knew they needed to put an end to this and get Daniel out of danger. There was no doubt in their minds that Randy and Krieger would kill him without any hesitation whatsoever.

Nancy just had to hope that their plan would work and wouldn't come back to bite them in the ass.

Randy smiled as he took a step towards Nancy. "I have to say, blue eyes, this is quite a surprise."

Nancy arched a brow. "Did you really think I wouldn't show up?"

"Oh, I knew you would show up. I was just expecting Gray to be right beside you."

"I never said he wasn't here. I'm not stupid enough to show up alone, Randy." Nancy smirked as she took a cautious step inside the building, possibly sealing her fate. She just had to hope that Max would be able to take them out as he promised. All she needed was time to get Daniel out of there. "You should give me a little more credit than that."

"I'll give you all the credit in the world, blue eyes," Randy said, his smile quickly forming into a frown. "After all, you were able to convince Gray to turn the tables on me and screw me over."

"Believe me," Daniel spoke up, amusement in his voice. "It didn't take much convincing on her part."

"No, I don't imagine it did." Randy took another step forward. "I imagine she was able to charm him the same was she was able to charm me years ago."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Nancy asked. She tried to keep her expression schooled as she saw Max creeping up behind Daniel, holding a finger up to his lips.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about, Nancy. Flash a little flirtatious smile here, bat your eyes there. Make him promises that you never intend to keep, just to get him to help you so you can turn around and stab him in the back. You did the same thing to me."

Nancy frowned as she shook her head. "What the hell are you talking about? I think you have it backwards, Randy. Everything you just described, you did to me."

A chilling smile turned up Randy's lips. "And you fell for it, just like Gray is doing with you. If I didn't know any better, I would dare say we may be the same person, blue eyes."

"I'm nothing like you."

"Would you like a mirror?"

Nancy swallowed hard, hating that she was letting Randy get to her this way. She never wanted to admit that he was right, but when he put it that way, was she really any better than Randy? Was she just using Max? She didn't want to believe that it was possible, but to the outsider, maybe it would look that way. But she knew that her feelings for Max were real—and he felt the same way about her.

At that moment, Max glanced up at her and she knew without a doubt that she was right. No, she was nothing like Randy. He only wanted to get under her skin, make her put her guard down.

"You're forgetting one thing, Randy."

"And what's that?"

Nancy kept her eyes locked on Randy's green ones as Max finally freed Daniel from the ropes. "Unlike with you, my feelings for Max are real."

"And speaking of Max, where is your shining knight in armor, Nancy?"

"I'm right here, you son of a bitch." The safety being released on Max's gun echoed throughout the abandoned building.

Randy slowly clapped his hands as he whirled around, noticing that Max and Daniel were standing directly behind him. "Bravo. You got Miss Drew to distract me so you could free your little friend."

"It wasn't exactly a genius move on our part, but it served its purpose," Max admitted as he moved in a slow circle around Randy to stand closer to Nancy. "Get to the car, Nancy. We'll be right behind you."

"Max—" Nancy began.

"No arguments, Nancy. I let you come in here alone, even thought I was against the idea. Now it's time for you to listen to me. Get to the car."

Nancy opened her mouth again to argue, but closed it when she saw the hardened expression on Max's face. He wasn't in the mood to screw around, she could see that. She wondered if he was still angry with her from coming in here alone.

Max let out a low growl as he saw she wasn't moving. "Daniel, get her the hell out of here!"

Just as Daniel took a step towards her, Nancy felt a strong pair of arms grab her from behind, slamming her body against a hard chest. Before her brain could even scream at her to get away from the threat, she felt the barrel of a gun press into soft flesh of her temple.

"So good to see you again, Miss Drew," Krieger said softly in her ear. "It's been a while."

Randy's laughter echoed throughout the room. "Did you honestly think it was going to be that easy to get out of here? First rule of a great plan: always have a backup plan ready to go."

Max's grip tightened on his gun, his aim never wavering from Randy's head. "Let her go or I blow his brains out."

Nancy felt Krieger shrug as his grip on her tightened to the point where she was sure she would have a bruise. "Go ahead and do it."

"Krieger and I have an understanding," Randy said, green eyes twinkling with delight. "We don't care about each other. What we have right now is simply a business relationship. We're not friends and we don't pretend to be. I hate him just as much as he hates me, but we have the same endgame in mind."

"Killing me," Nancy answered.

"Well, tormenting and torturing, but eventually, we'll get to the killing part."

"You should see the fun and excitement we have in store for you, Miss Drew," Krieger said, chuckling softly.

"You're not going to get the chance to show her," Max said, barely concealing his anger.

Nancy wasn't sure if it was anger directed at her or the turn of events. She prayed with everything that he wasn't angry with her. She was already angry enough with herself as it was. She didn't even think about Krieger being in the room anywhere, considering he always had others do his dirty work for him.

"Oh, I think we will." Before any of them could react, Randy reached behind him and pulled out a run, aiming it at Max's chest and firing. Nancy let out a terrified scream as Max stumbled back, dropping his gun. She barely registered that Randy fired another shot until she heard Daniel drop to the ground beside her. She struggled with all of her might to break Krieger's hold against her, but he only tightened his arm around her neck, choking her.

"Max!"

Dropping to his knees, Max locked eyes with Nancy—eyes that were full of regret and sorrow. It was then that Nancy noticed there was no blood on Max's shirt. There should have been blood—lots of it. Randy had shot him at point blank range. Then she noticed the dart sticking out of his body—a tranquilizer dart.

Nancy couldn't help the wave of relief she felt wash over her. At least Max wasn't dead.

"Nancy…" Max collapsed the rest of the way to the ground, reaching desperately for his gun. Just as his fingers brushed against it, Randy kicked it out of his way.

"It's dangerous to play with weapons when you're under the influence." Randy squatted down beside Max and flipped him over onto his back. "After all, we wouldn't want you to hurt yourself, now would we?" He grabbed Max by the chin and turned his head so he could see Nancy. "And don't worry. We're going to take good care of your lover."

Standing up, Randy turned to face Nancy. "Any last word you'd like to say to him, blue eyes?"

Nancy let out a strangled gasp as Krieger squeezed his arm around her throat.

"No?" Randy smiled as he aimed the tranquilizer gun at her and fired. "Sweet dreams, Nancy."

* * *

**Well, I'm back. **

**And hopefully for good this time, considering I don't have another computer crash where I lose EVERYTHING. I had a few chapters written for this when it happened, and no—the dummy me didn't save it to a flash drive. But I think it's going to end up being a blessing in disguise, because the story is now going in a different direction than I originally planned. **

**Can you guys ever forgive me?**

**I really need to thank everyone who sent me a message, asking about Runaway. It touches my heart that you guys care about it so much to ask about it, letting me know that you are still thinking about it. I don't think I can say it enough—you guys rock!**

**I also want to thank the following people for their reviews for the previous chapter: Michelle Gallichio, Randompersonality, Unknown #1, Unknown #2, SarahE7191, Unknown #3, AngelvieS, Alicia Hardy, SC15, Dani9513, raven678, Cupcake, NancyAustin, Guest #1, Jeaninelovesu, JaneBonesNancy.**

**I will update as soon as I can…and it won't be 5 months from now.**

**I apologize for any mistakes in this chapter and please let me know what you think! **


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter Eighteen**

* * *

"Oh, bloody hell."

Max's eyes jerked open at the sound of Daniel's voice. Sitting up gingerly, he felt a stabbing pain in his chest, and he glanced down to see a dart sticking out. Letting out a groan, he pulled it out and tossed it across the room. Turning his head, he saw that Daniel was doing the same thing.

"Not that I'm not happy to see you, but waking up beside you was not something on my agenda today," Daniel said, smirking.

"If it makes you feel any better, it wasn't on mine, either."

Rubbing at his chest, Max slowly stood up, seeing that they were still in the abandoned warehouse. Everything looked exactly the same with one glaring difference: Nancy, Wolfe, and Krieger were nowhere to be found.

Not good. Not good at all.

Peering down at his watch, he saw that a little over an hour had passed. Which meant that Nancy could pretty much be anywhere, and he had no clue as where to start.

It was fortunate that he happened to be very good at finding people. He would just have to treat this as any other job he'd been hired to do previously. And with Daniel, there was no doubt that they would find her.

The only concern was if they would find her dead or alive.

Pushing that thought aside, Max retrieved his gun from where it had been kicked aside, before making his way over to Daniel and helping him up. He was surprised his friend could even move, considering he was covered in bruises and scrapes. His blood boiled at the thought of Wolfe hurting Daniel—he wanted nothing more than to put his hands around Wolfe's throat and squeeze until there was nothing but a pulpy mess.

Gross, yes. But that was exactly what Max wanted.

"I don't suppose that Wolfe and Krieger revealed their entire plan to you, did they?" Max asked as he supported Daniel's weight as they made their way to the door and towards his rental car.

"Actually…" Daniel began.

Max stopped in his tracks, bringing the injured man to a grinding halt. "You're shitting me."

Daniel frowned. "You know, I never understood the meaning of that saying. What exactly does that mean, you're shitting me?"

Rolling his eyes, Max continued towards the car with Daniel. "I'll try to explain it to you later."

"All of you bloody Americans with your unintelligible slang."

"Right, because what you say half the time makes sense," Max grunted as he opened the passenger side door and helped Daniel inside.

"It absolutely makes sense."

"To you, anyway." Max jogged to the other side of the car and slid into the driver's side. Inserting the key into the ignition, he started the engine and pulled out onto the highway, cutting off several cars in the process. Several motorists honked their horns, but he paid them no mind.

"It won't do Nancy any good if you get us killed before we're able to ride in as her knights in shining armor."

Max ignored that. "Let's get back to Wolfe and Krieger. What did they tell you they were planning to do with her?"

Daniel instantly sobered up, his eyes focused on the road ahead of them. It was several beats before he spoke. "You're not going to like it, Max."

* * *

When Nancy opened her eyes, Randy Wolfe's face was not the first thing she wanted to see. If she had a choice, she would have envisioned herself back at Max's beach house overlooking the Gulf of Mexico, the warm breeze blowing caressing her skin with its warm embrace. She could almost feel Max's arms around her holding her tightly against his body, promising her comfort and safety.

Unfortunately, Nancy could never be lucky enough to get her wish. And by the time she realized that Randy was sitting next to her, it was too late to close her eyes and pretend that the incident at the warehouse was nothing more than a nightmare.

Ignoring Randy for the moment, she took in her surroundings. She was lying on her side in the back of a dirty van, her hands tied tightly behind her back, her ankles bound as well. She had no idea where she was heading—the only certainty being her very likely death. Randy was currently going through an assortment on blades, each one he picked up worse than the last. Nancy swallowed hard, pushing the bile back down her throat where it settled back into the pit of her stomach.

"Hello, blue eyes. Did you have a nice little nap?"

"Best sleep that I've had a in a while," Nancy said with a slight wince as the van hit a pothole, jarring her roughly into the metal wall.

Randy smiled, but there was no warmth in it. "I needed to make sure you were well-rested before the fun began."

"I'm pretty sure my well-being is the least of your concerns."

"That hurts, Nancy," Randy said, placing a hand over his heart. "Do you really think so little of me?"

"No."

"Really?"

Nancy smirked. "I think even less of you."

Anger flashed in Randy's green eyes before his hand lashed out, stopping just before he actually backhanded her. Nancy couldn't stop her flinch from the anticipated blow, which only seemed to amuse Randy as the smile reappeared on his face.

"You seem jumpy, Nancy."

Ignoring him, Nancy focused on the ropes around her wrists, working them back and forth to see if she could find any slack. Randy seemed content to watch her in silence, his eyes never leaving her face. After a couple of minutes, Nancy had to stop her efforts as her skin began chafing. Randy had been thorough this time around, she had to give him that.

"Are you finished?" he asked.

"For the time being," Nancy answered with a sigh, lying back down. Letting her eyes roam around the interior of the van, she saw that Krieger was nowhere to be seen. "Where's your little friend?"

"He drew the short end of the straw, so he gets to sit up front." Randy reached out a hand, softly running his fingertips along her jaw line. "You know he's nowhere near as much fun as I am, blue eyes."

Nancy couldn't stop the shiver of fear shuddering through her body. She pulled away from him, wanting as much distance as she could get. "Where are you taking me?"

"You'll find out soon enough."

"I want to know now."

"Well, not everyone gets what they want," Randy said, bringing his knees up to his chest as he leaned his back against the side of the van. Picking up the smallest knife, he began absently digging under his nails with the tip. "Besides, I would rather see your expression when we get there."

"Meaning it's not going to be anything good."

"Not for you, anyway. But that's what makes it so much better for me."

Nancy winced as the van hit another bump before taking a sharp curve, throwing her to the side. "Is it really worth all of this trouble, Randy? I don't understand why you and Krieger don't just kill me already."

"Because that would be too simple." Randy's eyes met hers and Nancy felt her blood run cold at the hatred she saw in them. It scared her how he was able to hide it so well from her. "And you deserve anything but simple."

"All of this just because I put you in jail, exactly where you belonged?"

In a flash, Randy was practically on top her, holding the blade of the knife against her throat, nicking the delicate skin there. "You took everything from me, blue eyes. _Everything_. Me killing you doesn't even begin to pay you back for what you've done."

Nancy tried to move her head back from the knife, but he gripped a fistful of her hair and held her in place. She silently prayed that they didn't hit another nasty bump, or a little nick was going to be the least of her worries.

"Would you like me to tell you what's going to happen?"

"I thought you didn't want to ruin the surprise," Nancy said, glaring steadily at him.

Randy said nothing as the van started to slow down before coming to a complete stop. One of the doors opened up front, only to slam shut a few seconds later.

Nancy listened as footsteps walked around the side, stopping at the back. The double doors opened to reveal Krieger, staring at them with an amused expression. Nancy wanted nothing more than to wipe the smirk off his face.

"It looks like someone was ready to get an early start on our little game," Krieger said staring directly at Nancy before his eyes moved over to Randy, who was still next to her with the knife at her throat. "Don't you think that's cheating, Wolfe?"

"No one said I had to wait for you, Krieger."

"We had an agreement."

"And there was nothing in that agreement that said I couldn't play with her," Randy argued with a slight roll of his eyes.

Anger flashed briefly in Krieger's eyes. "You made her bleed."

"Be glad that I haven't done more than that," Randy said with an impatient sigh.

Nancy jerked way from Randy, glaring at the both of them. She hated that they were talking about her as if she wasn't tied up right in front of them. They could at least have the courtesy to knock her out first if they insisted on doing it. "I'm not some shiny new toy for the two of you to play with, you know."

"I'm sure no one asked for your opinion, Miss Drew," Krieger said, his eyes trailing over her body. "And that is exactly what you are—a shiny new toy."

"Bite me."

A sinister smile pulled at Krieger's lips. "Maybe later, if you play your cards right." He turned his attention back to Randy. "You might as well get her out of there. We shouldn't keep her in suspense any longer. I'm sure Miss Drew is anxious to know what we have in store."

Nancy smirked at Randy as Krieger moved away from the doorway. "Do you always bow down and do what he says?"

With a growl, Randy moved down and cut the ropes around her ankles. Before she could even think about kicking at him, he was gripping her arm tightly and jerking her towards the open door. "You even think about kicking me and the first thing I'll do is cut your hamstring. And believe me, Nancy, you're going to need your legs."

Biting back a cry as she was jostled out of the van, Nancy stumbled to the ground. Her legs tingled from being restrained so tightly, the circulation slowly returning to her joints. Blinking rapidly against the sudden brightness of the sun, she slowly took in her surroundings, seeing that she was in the middle of a forest. No matter where she looked, she was surrounded by woods.

"What are we doing here?"

"We're going to play a little game," Randy said, keeping his grip on her arm tight. "You like to play games, don't you, blue eyes?"

"Sure, I like the occasional board game," Nancy said with a small smile.

Randy leaned down until he was right next to her ear, his breath tickling her neck. "This is going to be so much better than a board game."

Krieger stepped forward, his hands gripped behind his back. "We could have gone along the regular avenue and just killed you outright, but we wondered where the fun would be in that? It would be so easy to put a bullet in your brain, and while that would be rewarding in its own right, we decided to make a game out of it."

"What kind of game?" Nancy knew she didn't want to know what they had planned, because whatever it was, would not be good. But while she didn't want to know, she also knew that she needed to. Maybe if she had an idea of what they were going to do, she would have a chance to get away from them and save herself.

"I am so glad you asked." Krieger smiled. "You wouldn't believe the amount of people you've put away who would love to see you go down. So we thought we could kill two birds with one stone."

"What do you mean?"

"They give us a very hefty sum of money and get to watch you die, live as it happens. And the best part is that they don't have to get their hands dirty," Randy explained. "Genius, no?"

"No."

Randy ignored her as he continued on. "This is how it's going to work, blue eyes. We have constructed our very own obstacle course here for you in the middle of these woods. Manage to survive for twenty-four hours and we let you live."

"Sounds simple enough."

"Not quite," Krieger said. "We have put plenty of little traps out here for you, Miss Drew. Not to mention, Wolfe and I will be hunting you as well. Manage to elude us, and as Wolfe said, we'll let you continue to breathe the air you're taking in now."

Nancy couldn't stop the shiver trailing across her spine as their words sank in. She was going to be hunted like some kind of animal, with no idea of what lay before her. She was at a serious disadvantage, but she also wasn't about to go down without a fight. If they wanted her to play their game, she would do it.

And no way in hell was she going to make it easy for them.

"You said that you had a live audience tuning in," Nancy said, glancing around at the canopy of trees above her. "How?"

"We've been working on this for months. There are cameras everywhere, ready to take in all the action." Randy turned around and waved to his left. Nancy could have sworn she heard a sound as if a camera was zooming in.

"So, let me get this straight. If twenty-four hours from now, I'm still alive, you'll stop everything and let me live?"

"Correct."

"Fine." Nancy once again tried pulling out of Randy's strong grip. "I don't suppose you're going to let me out of these ropes."

"You're going to have to do that yourself," Randy said, flashing her a chilling smile. Pulling her closer to him, he brought his head down until his lips were brushing lightly against hers. "And to show you we're not completely heartless, we'll leave you with a weapon so you can at least try to defend yourself. And to help you out, we've decided to give you a ten minute head start."

"How considerate." Nancy watched as he tossed the small knife he'd been taunting her with earlier across the forest bed, where it landed in a stand of shrubs. "So, when does this little game start."

"Why, it begins right now."

* * *

**Yep, another cliffhanger. You secretly love them, right?**

**I would love to thank the following people for the awesome reviews from the previous chapter: raven678, lys, Angelvie S, Lady Emily, Guest #1, guest #2, and Cupcake. I love you guys!**

**I apologize for any mistakes and let me know what you think!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter Nineteen**

* * *

Nancy didn't waste a single second as soon as Randy threw her to the ground. Ignoring the fact that Randy and Krieger were watching her intently, she quickly brought her bound arms around the back of her legs until they were in front of her. As soon as that was done, she picked herself up off the ground and ran over to where Randy had thrown the knife.

Precious seconds were wasted as she dug through the cluster of bushes, but there was no way she was going to leave the knife behind. It may possibly be her only form of defense against those two. Besides, there was no telling what else awaited her in the vast forest. Finally, a glint of silver caught her eye and she plucked it off the ground before taking off into the forest at a dead run.

She hated that she had no idea where she was. It may have helped her case if she was familiar with these woods, but she had no clue if she was even still in River Heights. She was sure that she hadn't been unconscious for too long, so she had to figure she was in one of the surrounding towns. And even though she'd lived in the area her entire life, it still didn't help her.

Nancy had to come up with a plan of action—it was the only way she was going to have any chance against Randy and Krieger. She wasn't sure if she believed them about the traps they had placed out here, but she had to assume they were telling the truth.

Either way, she knew the first thing she had to do was to get her hands free.

Glancing quickly at her watch, she saw that it was around four o'clock in the afternoon. All she had to do was stay alive until this time tomorrow and she would be okay. _You can do this. You've been through so much before this, Nancy. There is no reason why you can't walk away from this._

Seeing a fallen log up ahead, Nancy leaped across it, keeping her grip tight on the knife. Glancing back at it, she saw that there was a small alcove underneath it that would provide the perfect cover. All she needed was enough time to catch her breath, free her hands, and hide long enough to Randy and Krieger to bypass her.

Nestling in as deep as she could, while still being able to use the sunlight to see by, Nancy turned the blade towards her and maneuvered it between her wrists. Working slowly, she moved it back and forth, taking extra care so as not to cut herself. The last thing she needed was to bleed out here—not only could a blood trail lead them right to her, it would also attract animals to a possible food source.

Finally, after a few minutes, the ropes fell away from her wrists. Putting the hilt of the blade in her mouth, Nancy moved her hands back and forth in order to get the circulation going again. Tiny pinpricks of pain radiated up her arms, but she ignored it. That pain would be nothing compared to what Randy and Krieger would do to her if and when they caught her.

Allowing herself to take a deep breath, Nancy leaned back against the cool earth, trying to get her breathing under control. Everything finally seemed to be catching up to her and she was afraid of what would happen if she actually allowed herself to dwell on how dire her situation really was.

She was angry at herself for not listening to Max. He'd been adamant about her not going into the warehouse and she had been stubborn—as usual. Why couldn't she just let someone help her, instead of thinking it was her job—and her job alone—to save the world? Why did she insist on being so damn stubborn?

Nancy would have given anything to see Max right then and there. It amazed her how being away from him was screwing with her emotions. She knew she shouldn't care for him as deeply as she did, but he was the best thing that had happened to her since her break-up with Ned Nickerson. He had managed to do what no other man could do in the last year—he made her feel again.

And now it was very possible she may never see him again.

_Stop it, Drew. Stop thinking like that or you never will make it out of here alive._

Even though it went against everything in her, she had to hope that Max and Daniel would find her. She couldn't feel hopeless now, especially when she had such a long road ahead of her. As long as there was hope, she had a shot.

The snapping of a twig broke Nancy from her thoughts. Remaining deathly still, she strained her ears to listen for the sound of approaching footsteps.

"She couldn't have gotten too far," Krieger's voice reverberated through the silent forest. "I think she'll be lucky if she manages to evade us for an hour."

"You, of all people, should know better than to underestimate Nancy," Randy said. "After all, she managed to put the two of us and countless others behind bars. And all at the tender age of eighteen."

"It was nothing more than luck," Krieger argued bitterly.

"Call it what you want. The fact is, she was able to do it."

"If I didn't know any better, I would think you sounded worried, Wolfe."

Randy was silent for a few beats. "I'm not worried. I'm being realistic. Let's say you manage to capture her within an hour as you're predicting. Do you just kill her outright, and disappoint all of the people who paid to watch?"

"No. I keep her around for the next twenty-three hours and torture her." Nancy could almost hear the smile in his voice. "And then I kill her. I plan on giving everyone exactly what they paid for and have fun while I'm doing it."

Nancy remained silent as the footsteps passed directly over her, barely daring to breathe. There was no way in hell she could let them find her now, especially after Krieger just revealed what he planned for her. Death would be a welcomed gift compared to what he really wanted to do to her.

"How long do you think it will take for her to realize we don't have the forest rigged with traps?" Randy asked as the footsteps slowly retreated.

"Hopefully she doesn't," Krieger admitted. "I can only imagine the torment her mind will put her through, wondering when she'll hit the first one. In fact, it makes me ecstatic thinking about it."

Nancy couldn't stop the chill from running down her spine. While Randy was horrible and dangerous in his own right, Krieger scared her in a way that terrified her. Out of the two, she liked her odds with Randy better than she did with John Krieger.

She stayed in her position for at least a good ten minutes, wanting to make sure they were far enough way so she could make her escape. Now that she knew the forest wasn't rigged with potential traps, she felt more confident in her ability to survive. She didn't have to worry about whether her next step was going to be her last. Sure, she still had to contend with two psychotic men who wanted her blood, but that was now only a small concern.

Gingerly making her way out from beneath the log, she cast a cautious look around, making sure that Randy and Krieger were truly gone. It occurred to her that they expected her to delve deeper into the dense woods, not turn back around and go back the way she came. If she could just get back to the van, she'd be able to get out of here before they could find her. Even if they took the keys with him, she knew enough about cars to hotwire them.

With this new plan in action, Nancy kept her grip tight on the knife and quietly made her way back to the van. She didn't feel the need to run. Instead, she took her time and remained as quiet as she could, stepping around twigs and other debris that would give her away.

After about fifteen minutes, she finally saw the van glinting in the late afternoon sunlight. For the first time in a while, she felt relieved and confident that she was going to make it out of there alive.

Jogging the last few feet to the vehicle, Nancy tried the driver's side door, only to find it locked. Frustrated, she moved around the passenger side and was pleasantly surprised to see it was unlocked. It occurred to her that it shouldn't be this easy, but she also wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Jerking up the handle, she pulled the door open.

"You didn't really think it was going to be that easy, did you, blue eyes?" Randy's amused voice said right behind her.

Nancy jerked around, instantly taking a defensive posture. The knife was gripped tightly in her hand. She had been so relieved to find the van unlocked, she'd completely let her guard down. Her heart was practically thudding out of her chest as she locked eyes with Randy's green ones.

"Where's your friend?" she asked, trying to keep the tremor out of her voice. She was unsure if she succeeded though.

"He's looking for you," Randy said, taking a step closer to her. "You see, he doesn't give you a whole lot of credit. He underestimates you."

"And you don't?"

"No. That would be stupid of me if I did."

Nancy started edging to the right, bracing herself to make a run for it as soon as she had an opening. "Should I take that as a compliment?"

"Absolutely."

"I heard the two of you talking earlier."

Randy smiled. "I figured you did. Let me guess…you were hiding underneath the fallen log?"

Nancy nodded.

"So, you know what Krieger has planned for you?"

"Aren't you in on that plan?"

"Actually, no." Randy's features darkened slightly before the grin appeared on his face again. "Krieger would love nothing more than to torture you slowly until you beg for death. I may be a criminal, blue eyes, but I'm not inhumane. I'd rather stick to our original plan—give you a fighting chance before I kill you."

"Thanks," Nancy muttered as she continued to move away from him. Randy was matching her step for step.

Suddenly he lunged for her, deftly knocking the knife out of her hand as he shoved her against the side of the van. Nancy let out a pain filled gasp, momentarily stunned. Then, her brain finally caught up with her and she began to struggle.

"Let me go!"

Randy jerked her forward before slamming her against the van again. "Calm down, Nancy. If you're too loud, Krieger will hear you."

"Aren't you just going to bring me to him anyway?" Nancy asked as she continued to struggle against his grip, even though her head was pounding. All she knew was that she had to get away from him. No way in hell could she let Krieger get a hold of her.

"No."

Nancy stopped her struggles, giving Randy a confused look. "Why not?"

"I already told you. I want you to have a chance, Nancy."

"Then why the hell didn't you let me just get in the van and get out of here?"

Randy frowned as he tilted his head to stare at her. "I told you I wanted to give you a chance, not make a great escape. Don't mistake my generosity for weakness, blue eyes. I still want you dead—don't forget that."

"I wouldn't dream of it." Nancy tried to push against him, but his grip remained strong and unrelenting. "Then what's the point of this, Randy?"

"I needed to distract Krieger, keep him away from you a bit longer."

Nancy let out a sigh. "None of this makes any sense, Randy."

Randy shrugged. "If you insist on questioning my intentions, I can always call Krieger over here."

"No!"

"This is the only time I will help you, Nancy. The next time I find you, I will offer you up to him." Randy leaned in closer to her. "With no hesitation, whatsoever. Understood?"

"Perfectly."

"Good." Randy grinned as he reached behind his back and pulled out a knife. "Now, to show you that I haven't suddenly developed a conscience, I'm afraid I'm going to have to leave you with a little parting gift."

"What are you—"

Nancy never got the chance to finish her question as she felt the knife plunge into her thigh before it was ripped out. Letting out a startled cry, her knees buckled and she fell to the ground. Blood began seeping through the dark denim of her jeans and she held her hand over the wound to stem the flow of blood.

"You son of a bitch!" Nancy said through gritted teeth, blinking back tears.

"Relax," Randy said with a roll of his eyes. "I didn't hit anything vital. You'll still be able to walk, though you might want to find something to stop the blood."

"Go to hell!"

"Eventually, yes." Randy knelt down beside her, brushing her hair back from her face. "And you'll be joining me, blue eyes." Standing back up, he looked down at her. "Remember what I said, Nancy. Don't let me find you again."

And with that, he turned around and ran back into the forest.

* * *

"And you're sure that's what they said?" Max asked, looking at Daniel in disbelief. "They're throwing her into the woods and basically hunting her down."

"Precisely," Daniel said with a nod of his head.

"Why the hell is this sounding like a rip-off of _The Hunger Games_?"

"You know what _The Hunger Games_ are?" Daniel asked, surprised.

Max let out a frustrated grunt. "Why the hell is that such a surprise to you?"

"Well, because you don't have anything close to resembling a social life."

"Thanks."

"It's true," Daniel said with a shrug. "But to get back on point, yes—they are basically taking some liberties with _The Hunger Games_ and making it their own. The main difference being, of course, that even if Nancy manages to stay alive for the twenty-four hours they're giving her, she still won't survive."

Max nodded. "They'll kill her regardless."

"Yes."

"Do you have any idea of where they may have taken her?"

Daniel shook his head. "No. But if I have a computer, I'm sure I can manage to get a hit on their camera feed and trace it."

Max reached into the backseat of the car and retrieved his laptop, handing it to Daniel. "Do it."

"It's not going to be that simple. I'm afraid there's a downside."

"And what would that be?"

"Well, we have to have a buy-in. And it isn't cheap."

Max didn't care how much it was; he would pay anything to get Nancy back. But he had to ask anyway. "How much?"

"Twenty-five thousand."

"Do it," Max said without hesitation.

Daniel nodded as he opened the laptop and logged on. His hands began flying over the keyboard as soon as he was signed on. "I'm not exactly sure where to find the webcam, but I'm sure if I can hack into Wolfe's email, it will lead me there."

"Do whatever it takes, Daniel." Max swallowed hard as he looked out the windshield, watching as joggers and families moved around in the park they were parked at. "We have to get her back."

"And we will." Daniel glanced up from the computer screen long enough to fix Max with a steady look. "She's been good for you, Max. No way in hell am I about to let her get away from us that easily. She almost makes life with you bearable."

Max had nothing to say in retort. Daniel was right—Nancy had been good for him. For both of them, actually.

_Just hang on, Nancy. I'm on my way._

* * *

**Would you look at that? A quick update!**

**While most of you were quick to point out **_**The Hunger Games**_**, this is only a slight reference and interpretation of it. No Districts, or Katniss's, or Peeta's around here. Just Nancy and a whole heap of problems. **

**You know, the usual!**

**I would love to thank the following for their reviews: Angelvie S, Raven678, Michelle Gallichio, Cupcake, and Randompersonality. You guys rock!**

**I apologize for any mistakes and would love to know what you think!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter Twenty**

* * *

There were very few times in Nancy's life where she truly felt like killing someone—and right now was one of those times. She wanted to kill Randy Wolfe for stabbing her and leaving her at a serious disadvantage. It wasn't enough that he and Krieger had decided to make a twisted little hunting game starring yours truly.

No, he had to come back and stab her in the leg just to up the stakes. And the real kicker—the one thing that really bothered her—it was all just to help her, or so he said. Yes, she knew what Krieger had planned for her, but was she really naïve enough to think that Randy was truly looking out for her in his own sick, twisted way.

The simple answer was no.

There was no way in hell she was about to believe anything that came out of Randy Wolfe's mouth.

And while the rational part of her brain told her that Randy could have left her with a much more serious injury, the whiny five-year-old part of her was screaming that it wasn't just fair that he'd stabbed her in the leg. Why couldn't he just stab her in the arm—she could fight with one arm. But having a wounded leg was going to hinder her movement in a serious way.

_Stop thinking like that, Drew. If you're going to insist on throwing yourself a pity party, then you might as well just give up right now. Otherwise, get your ass up and start moving!_

Allowing herself one last helpless sigh, Nancy looked around for the knife that Randy had made her drop. At least he hadn't taken that away from her. She needed to find some way to stem the flow of blood on her leg and her only option at the moment was to cut the bottom of her shirt and make a tourniquet. It wouldn't stop the bleeding completely, but it would help.

Spotting it a few feet away, Nancy set about cutting her shirt until she had a long enough strip to wrap around her thigh. Letting out a grunt of pain, she tied it off around her leg until it was nice and tight, but where it wouldn't cut off her circulation. Taking a deep breath, she slowly made her way up, bracing herself against the side of the van as she slowly put pressure on her injured leg, testing its limits.

For a split second, white-hot pain shot through her leg, nearly making her faceplant into the ground once again. She gritted her teeth and breathed through the pain until it became nothing more than a dull throb. Turning back to the passenger side of the van, she found that the door was now locked.

"Randy must have managed to do that while I was cursing him with everything I had in me," Nancy said bitterly, her voice unnaturally loud in the quite forest, though it had been nothing more than a whisper in actuality.

Yet one more reason for her to want to kill Randy. The list just kept getting longer.

"Well, you can't just stand around here and wait for them to come get you," Nancy said, pushing away from the van. "You need to move."

And with that, Nancy trudged further into the forest, heading in the opposite direction of where Randy went.

* * *

"It looks like I'm in."

Max jerked in his seat at Daniel's sudden announcement, having been nodding off and on for the last couple of hours while Daniel found a way into Wolfe's program. Cursing under his breath, he rubbed a hand over his face and sat up in his seat so he could see what his partner was looking at on the computer screen.

"Where's the camera feed?" Max asked, frowning slightly when he didn't see anything.

"It will take a few minutes to come up," Daniel said, patiently. "I just now got the confirmation about the money being deposited into their account."

"This can't be traced back to us, can it?"

"Give me a little credit, Max. I wouldn't be careless enough to do something like that." Daniel shot him an annoyed glance. "I rerouted the money through several locations under a false name so when the police do get wind of this little scheme, we will be nowhere near it."

Max sighed, hating that he'd insulted Daniel. "I'm sorry, Daniel. I didn't mean it to sound like I was questioning your capabilities. I know you're the best at what you do. It's just—"

"You're stressed and worried about Nancy and you're taking it out on me."

"Yes."

"It's a good thing I don't take you seriously the majority of the time, Max." A teasing smile tugged at Daniel's lips. "We'd never get along, otherwise."

Shooting his friend a reluctant smile, Max really wondered for what to be the millionth time what he would do without Daniel by his side. Max knew without a doubt he could be an ass sometimes—okay, most of the time. Most people would have turned their back on him, but not Daniel. For some reason, he still managed to stick around.

Max couldn't figure out how he'd gotten so lucky when it came to a friend like Daniel.

Shaking the thoughts away, Max focused his attention on the task at hand. "Have there been any rumblings from the police so far? You would think they would have caught onto something as barbaric as this by now."

Daniel shook his head. "No, but it's not surprising. Wolfe has managed to pull together some serious security measures for his Pay-Per-View special. He's got it going through so many false channels, it would take the police weeks for months to figure it out."

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"How long will it take for you to work your way through it?"

"At least a few hours."

Max shook his head. "That's not good enough, Daniel."

"It's going to have to be good enough, Max. I have limited resources, sitting here in the middle of a public park." Daniel frowned as he continued to stare at the computer screen. "I would have much better luck if we were back home."

"Well, that can't happen."

"I know it can't happen." Daniel turned his head to glare at Max. "All I'm asking is that you have some patience."

Max opened his mouth to argue further, but thought better of it when he saw Daniel's expression. In the back of his mind, he knew that his partner was doing everything he could to try to pinpoint Nancy's location. But the irrational part of him was telling him that it simply wasn't enough. Maybe it had to do with the fact that Max could do nothing, but sit and twiddle his thumbs.

Two things that he was never really good at.

They sat in silence for a few moments, neither of them wanting to say anything to anger the other person. Which was okay with Max—he could take silence. In fact, he preferred it

"Looks like we're live," Daniel said after about five minutes.

Max leaned over in his seat to see what Daniel was looking at. There were so many camera angles, it almost made him dizzy. But they all seemed to have one focal point—Nancy. The camera followed her every move, making Max feel as if she was completely open and exposed. She was practically every voyeur's dream as she darted in between the trees, focused on all of her surroundings.

"It's looks like she may be hurt," Daniel murmured.

"What are you talking about?"

Daniel hit a few keys until one of the screens paused so Max could get a clearer shot of Nancy. There was no mistaking the crimson stain on her jeans and the slight grimace of pain on her dirtied face. Daniel tapped a few more keys and the feed jumped forward, following Nancy as she continued to trek further into the forest. It was then that Max noticed the awkward way she was jogging, the wound on her leg proving to be a hindrance.

There was no doubt in his mind that what happened to Nancy wasn't an accident. It had been done deliberately to debilitate her even further. Max felt the anger wash over him, taking everything he had not to drive his fist through the window.

"Is there a way to trace the cameras?" Max asked through clinched teeth.

"I'm already working on it, Max," Daniel said softly, not even glancing up from the screen as his fingers flew across the keyboard in furious strokes. "According to the message boards they have on here, it's only been about an hour since she got the wound. And if you're wondering who to aim your rage at, it would be Wolfe."

"Good to know."

"But you may be even angrier at Krieger."

"Why's that?"

"Apparently, he's mentioned what he would like to do to Nancy if they manage to capture her before the twenty-four hours is up. And it has everyone in here doing a little happy dance."

"What is it?"

"If he manages to get a hold of her, instead of outright killing her, he plans to torture her for the duration of the twenty-four hour period. Of course, allowing everyone to watch."

"Son of a bitch!"

"And the pieces of shit on this message board have offered plenty of suggestions on how to do that." Daniel swallowed hard as he glanced over at Max. "Let's just hope Krieger and Wolfe isn't able to see any of these messages. Nancy would be better off getting taken out by one of the animals in the forest."

Max's blood ran cold at that. His hands were clenched so tightly that his nails cut into his palms, leaving bloody indentations in the skin. "Daniel, you have to—"

"I'm on it, Max. I'll find her before those bastards have a chance to capture her."

Max prayed that Daniel was right.

* * *

**A shorter chapter this time around, but I had to stop it there or it would have gone on a lot longer than I wanted. Besides, it's not such a bad cliffhanger here, right? Right?**

**I would love to thank the following for the love I got for the last chapter: Randompersonality, Angelvie S, Michelle Gallichio, SC15, Lady Emily, Cupcake, and raven678. As always, you guys rock!**

**I have to say that SC15 cracked me up with her review, saying how evil I was to Nancy as she pointed out what I've done to Nancy lately. Looking back, I think I have to agree with her. Yeah, I'm harsh on Nancy, but the way I justify it is this: humanity is dark and evil. And I'm not saying that it's the majority of the people out there, because I really believe the good people outweigh the bad. I just don't think I could do my stories any justice by having the bad guy gloat, threaten our characters and then they get arrested—the end. I like action and plenty of suspense in my stories—I want you all to be on the edge of your seats, screaming at me because, let's be honest, I enjoy it.**

**So, thank you again for supporting me and the crazy journeys I bring you on!**

**I also noticed that some of you have been asking me questions in your reviews, but it's just so hard for me to reply to them since I would have to go through the entire Private Message feature and that just takes too much work, especially from my phone. So, I was thinking if any of you had questions you would like me to address, you could follow me on Twitter and ask away there. My screen name is supernaturalsam.**

**I apologize for any mistakes on my part and I hope you enjoy. **


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter Twenty-One**

* * *

**There is some adult content in this chapter. You have been warned.**

* * *

Nancy wasn't sure how many hours had passed, but if she had to guess, she figured it was around three since Randy and Krieger had dumped her in the middle of nowhere. Her left leg was throbbing, preventing her from moving faster than she would have liked. On top of that, she was exhausted and beyond thirsty.

Because of that, she was making it a priority to find some supple of water. She knew she could do without food for days from what she had read in books, but water was a completely different story. She couldn't afford to become dehydrated, because that would only make her weaker and she needed any amount of strength she could get if she was going to survive.

And she was going to survive.

That's the only thought that kept her going as she trekked further and further into the forest. No way in hell was she going to let those bastards win—she had too much to live for. Not only that, but she really wanted to see where things could lead with Max. Sure, he'd started off as a total douche, and she wanted nothing more than to see him rot away along with Randy. But the more time she'd spent with him, she realized he actually was a good man.

Yes, his career choice wasn't ideal, but she supposed the old adage was correct—opposites attract. And they certainly were opposites, there was no doubt about that.

She was so wrapped up in her thoughts, she didn't pay attention to where her feet were going and tripped over a root. Letting out a soft cry, she fell hard to her knees, pain burning a fiery trail up her injured leg. Tears sprang to her eyes, but Nancy didn't have the energy to push them away. Instead, she leaned back against a tree and let them fall.

It wasn't just tears of pain—it was tears of anger, frustration, and yes—maybe a little hopelessness, too. But, damn it, she was a human being. Why shouldn't she get to sit there and feel sorry for herself? Where were the rules against that?

Maybe that was what she liked so much about Max. He truly wanted to take care of her, which was something she'd never had before. She'd always been the one to take care of everything herself, her independence being something that defined her. But would it really be so bad to let someone take some of the burden away from her?

Nancy was so tired of everyone expecting everything out of her. She wasn't perfect—in fact, she never pretended to be perfect. But there was always this expectation out of her that she was never supposed to let anyone down, be the brave one when facing down an enemy. Even Randy and Krieger were expecting it of her, wanting her to put on a show for their sick audience.

Well, screw them. She wondered how pissed they would be if she just sat here and did absolutely nothing. _Maybe everyone would demand their money back from them._

A chuckle burst out of her mouth before turning into full-blown laughter, the sound echoing all around her. She honestly didn't care if anyone heard her. It felt good just to let it all out—the ridiculousness of the situation was enough to make anyone hysterical.

"Okay, Drew. Get a hold of yourself," Nancy said softly, getting her breathing back under control. She knew she needed to get up and find some water before it got too dark. And looking at the setting sun, she knew she didn't have much time before that happened. Maybe an hour tops.

Using the tree for support, Nancy lifted herself up off the ground. Glancing down at her leg, she saw that blood was starting to seep through the cloth she had tied around it earlier. She knew that she needed to try to keep as much pressure off of it as much as she could. Spotting a thick sturdy branch to the side, Nancy reached down and picked it up.

Putting the knife into the waistband of her jeans, she gripped the stick tightly in her right hand and continued on her way.

* * *

John Krieger couldn't understand how Nancy was able to evade them for this long. When he had come up with the idea of throwing her into the woods, he honestly thought he would find her in the first hour, and have the remaining twenty-three to play with her.

Four hours into the game, and he was no closer to finding her than he was when they first started. Of course, if he'd had it his way, he never would have let her go into the forest for this little cat-and-mouse game that Wolfe had insisted on. He still wasn't sure why he'd even listened to him in the first place.

Well, he would take care of that problem soon enough.

The sound of approaching footsteps startled him out of his thoughts. He turned around to see Wolfe approaching him from the left, a huge grin on his face.

"What the hell are you so happy about?" Krieger grumbled as he started to walk again.

"I found her."

Krieger stopped, anger coursing through him as he faced Wolfe. "And yet, here you are empty-handed."

"Don't worry about it," Randy said with a roll of his eyes. "She's not going to get very far with what I did to her."

"And what exactly did you do to her?"

"I stabbed her in her leg. She's not moving very fast at the moment."

Krieger clinched his teeth, taking a deep breath. He couldn't let his rage get the best of him because that would only lead to him taking it knife and shoving it into Randy's throat. "While I appreciate your work ethic and enthusiasm, I would have been happier to have her here in front of me."

"Don't worry, you'll have her soon enough."

"Soon enough isn't now!" Krieger roared, causing birds to fly out of trees. Forgetting all about his rage control, he stormed up to Wolfe and gripped his throat, squeezing tightly. "I think I've had about enough of your shit."

Randy swallowed hard. "What are you going to do? Kill me?"

Krieger smiled.

"You do that and you'll never find her."

"Oh, I can find her," Krieger said softly. "Don't you worry about that."

Randy flinched as Krieger began to squeeze harder. If Krieger didn't know any better, he would say that Wolfe was afraid to die. "But I can make it easier."

Every part of Krieger wanted to keep squeezing Wolfe's throat until his head popped off like the top of a flower from its stem. Finally after a few moments, he eased his grip on his throat. "Fine. I'll give you two hours to find her. If she's isn't at the cabin by that time, I'll kill you. And trust me—there will be no other chances for you."

* * *

Just as darkness was encroaching around her, Nancy finally found a small stream. It took everything she had not to run and dive in it. Thankfully, her leg prevented from doing just that. Instead, she stumbled to the stream, dropping beside it.

Dipping her hands into the cold water, she brought a cupful to her mouth and drank greedily. The cool liquid instantly soothed her parched throat as it made its trail down to her stomach. She kept drinking until her stomach was full, unsure of when the next chance would be to have some more. She wished that she had a bottle or something she could carry around with her, but there was nothing that could be done about that at the moment.

Taking another handful of the water, Nancy splashed her face, scrubbing away at the sweat that was dripping down. She wanted nothing more than to lie down and sleep, but she had to keep moving. She wasn't sure how far Randy and Krieger were from her, but she knew she couldn't stay here, no matter how much she wanted to.

Allowing herself one more sip of the water, Nancy began to rise to her feet when she heard the sound of a twig snapping. Her senses immediately went on the alert, unsure if she was about to come face to face with an animal, or something much worse. She really hoped for the former, but with her luck she figured it would be the latter.

Trying to remain as quiet as possible, Nancy eased backwards until she was hiding behind a large tree. The noise had come from her left so she moved her body until she had the perfect vantage point, while still remaining completely hidden. She gripped the stick tightly in her hands, only wanting to use the knife as a last resort.

Time seemed to drag on as she waited for her surprise visitor. She could barely see anything in front of her, it was so dark. Unfortunately, it was a new moon tonight, so she didn't even have that to help her.

_When it rains…blah, blah, blah._

Finally, a figure emerged from the forest, coming to a stop beside the stream. Nancy slowly moved her head, clutching onto the tree tightly as she spotted Randy Wolfe. His warning from earlier still rang true in her head. There was no way she could let him catch her, or she was as good as dead.

Randy didn't seem as if he was in any hurry to find her as he looked across the stream, his hands in his pockets. He seemed to be lost in his thoughts, perfectly distracted. If she could just sneak behind him, she could knock him out and buy herself some more time.

With that thought, she increased her grip on the large stick and inched away from behind the protection and safety of the tree. She took small steps, walking on the tips of her feet. She was so close to him…

Ten feet…

Five…

Three…

Randy turned suddenly, backhanding her hard across the face. Nancy let out a cry, falling to the ground, but retaining her grip on the stick. Her face was throbbing, but that was nothing compared to the pain in her leg.

"I told you what would happen next time, blue eyes," Randy said as he slowly approached her, a leer on his face. "Looks like your time is up."

"Screw you," Nancy bit out before swinging the stick at him and hitting him in the stomach.

Randy let out a whoosh of air, doubling over in pain. "You bitch!"

Ignoring the pain in her leg, Nancy stood up and started to run away from him. She barely made it two yard before she was tackled from behind and brought to the ground. Instinct immediately took over and she turned over onto her back so she was facing him.

"You could have made this so easy for yourself, Nancy," Randy crooned softly, stroking her face with the back of his hand. "Krieger said he wanted me to bring you back, but he didn't specify what condition."

"Get off of me!"

"Why would I want to do something like that? You're a beautiful woman, Nancy, and we have this area all to ourselves." Randy eased his hand down until it was pulling up her shirt.

Pure, unadulterated terror shot through Nancy as she realized what he planned to do to her. There was no denying the lust and hunger in his eyes, even in darkness. Bringing her hands up, she began clawing at his face, satisfied when she drew blood.

Letting out a feral growl, Randy grabbed her hands and put them above her head, pinning them there tightly as his other hand continued to work its way up her body. Nancy let out a terrified scream, the sound echoing all around them as it reverberated throughout the forest. Randy took his other hand and held it over her mouth, muffling her screams.

"No reason to draw attention to ourselves, blue eyes. Let's just enjoy this moment." Randy smiled down at her, but there was no warmth to it. It was so predatory, it made her sick to her stomach. "I promise to make it enjoyable for you."

Nancy wasn't sure what happened next. Maybe it was a freak adrenaline rush or fear that overtook her, but all of a sudden, Randy was flying across the forest and away from her. He didn't stay down for long though as he came rushing back towards her, rage contorting his features. Nancy didn't even think as she drew the knife from her waistband and stabbed Randy in the gut.

Shock quickly replaced the rage as Randy stumbled back from her, looking down at his stomach where the knife was plunged deeply. Nancy stumbled away from him, her eyes wide. She couldn't believe she had just done that. It wasn't even a conscious decision—it was something that took over her completely. Survive or be killed.

Nancy didn't even remain to see if Randy was mortally wounded or not. With a wound like that, she knew death would be inevitable for him unless get got some help quickly. With one of them out of commission, it helped her odds immensely. She took off through the forest, not looking back even once.

She wasn't sure how long she ran, dodging trees and other obstacles in her way. It was a wonder to her that she hadn't managed to break any bones, it was so dark out here. But she didn't let that deter her as she kept running, looking for some sort of shelter for the night. She knew without a doubt, she didn't want to face Krieger in the dark. He was always the more dangerous one of the two and just knowing what he had stored for her had her terrified.

Nancy came to a sudden stop as a cabin came into focus. It was eerie with it being out here in the middle of nowhere, but Nancy figured it was a hunting cabin that was only used during the winter. Which meant that she may have finally found the break she was looking for. It would be abandoned, providing her with the perfect cover for the night.

Her rumbling stomach also made her hopeful for food and water.

Slowly making her way towards the cabin, Nancy cautiously peeked through all the windows, but didn't see anything or anyone. The lights were off and it appeared to be empty. Figuring that the front door had to be locked, she tiptoed to the back door. Even if that one was locked, she stood a better chance of breaking in undetected than she did going in the front. Not that anyone would possibly notice for months, but she wanted to be courteous, just the same.

Gripping the doorknob tightly in her hand, she turned the knob. She was a little surprised when it turned easily in her hand, offering no resistance at all. _I guess it's not that odd, considering the owner didn't figure anyone would come out here while hunting season was off limits._

Pulling the door open slowly, Nancy eased herself into the small cabin, closing the door softly behind her. She had no idea if Krieger or Randy even knew of its existence, but she didn't want to take any chances of them discovering her. She planned on leaving it as undisturbed as possible, perhaps improving her chances of remaining hidden.

From what she could make out in the dark, the interior of the cabin was small—basically one central room. A bed was to the left, along with the living room while the kitchen was to her right. The ceiling was made of heavy beams, the floors hardwood. Bed sheets covered everything, protecting the furniture from dust. A closed door was beside the kitchen and Nancy figured it led to the bathroom.

Finally allowing her body to relax for the first time in hours, Nancy walked to the kitchen, hoping that the water was working. Taking a glass from one of the cabinets, Nancy turned the tap, thrilled to see water running from it. Filling up the glass, she chugged the water down, ignoring it as some dribbled down her chin.

She was turning to kill the glass up again when a noise behind her caught her attention. It almost sounded as if it was the scraping of a shoe against the floor. Putting the glass down into the sink, Nancy started to turn around.

Before she could make it all the way around, something heavy crashed down on her head. She was out cold before her body even hit the ground.

* * *

**Oh, no! It's a cliffhanger!**

**I would love to thank the following people for their awesome reviews: Angelvie S, Randompersonality (I totally got what you were saying and agree completely!), SC15, Michelle Gallichio, and Cupcake. I just love you guys so much!**

**I also want to thank everyone else who is reading and may be too shy to let me know what you think. I appreciate all of you guys, too!**

**I apologize for any mistakes and I look forward to seeing what you think!**


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

* * *

**Language and violence ahead. You have been warned.**

* * *

Max had to admit, just when he thought Daniel couldn't possibly do anything to impress him even more, he knocked another one right out of the ballpark. What should have taken him at least four hours to figure out, it only took him two hours to pinpoint the area Nancy was in. Sure, he still had to search hundreds of acres of forest, but at least he had a starting point.

It was a hell of a lot better than nothing. And he would take anything he could get at this point.

Max knew he was racing the clock, because he truly didn't believe that Nancy didn't have the twenty-four hours Wolfe and Krieger were giving her. It was just something they were dangling in front of her, giving her a false sense of hope. Even if she did manage to elude them for twenty-four hours, there was no way they were going to just let her walk away.

They had put too much into finding her and setting up the little demented game. People were paying to watch them kill her and there was no way they were going to disappoint their twisted little audience.

It really was a shame that Max was going to put an end to it first.

Daniel had assured him he could lead a trail to every person involved, basically handing them all over to the police in a gift wrapped package. Once Daniel had gotten through all of the firewalls and false trails, it was a simple case of tracing it back to the original source. With one click of the button, the website would be shut down, leaving an unknown number of people who didn't feel they were getting their money's worth pissed at Krieger and Wolfe.

As tempting as it was for Max to give Daniel the go-ahead to put an end to it, that website was the only thing allowing them to keep an eye on Nancy. It sickened Max to see her being hunted as if she was nothing more than an animal. But the two things that Max had learned about Nancy were that she was resilient and resourceful.

Two things that he loved about her.

Loved?

Max halted in his tracks, wondering if that was what he was really feeling for Nancy. Did he even know how to love someone? He'd never in his life been in love—lust, yes. But never love, but Nancy made him feel something deep inside that he'd never felt for any woman. And he knew he shouldn't love her. He was wrong for her on so many levels—he was the last man who should ever be allowed to love her.

But he couldn't stop himself from feeling that way. And he didn't want to.

"You have a faraway look on your face," Daniel said, snapping Max out of his reverie. "It's a little frightening, to be honest."

"Shut up, Daniel."

Daniel chuckled as Max continued to lead the way through the forest.

"I knew I should have left you in the car," Max muttered, shaking his head in annoyance. He knew as soon as he said that, it wasn't true. Daniel was a valuable asset to him, especially now with his gadgets. He was currently using a thermal imagining scanner, which used radiation to pick up variations in temperature, which made finding warm-blooded creatures in the middle of the forest easier to find—whether it be human or animal.

"You make it sound as if I'm a child," Daniel said, feigning offense.

"You said it, I didn't." Max turned his head, flashing Daniel a quick grin. "Are you picking up anything?"

"Thumper and Bambi, but nothing that even remotely screams human."

"Are you sure we're going the right way?"

"Well, I don't know, Max." This time there was no mistaking the annoyance in Daniel's tone. "We're currently searching hundreds of acres of forest—I can't exactly tell you where we should have begun our search."

"Sensitive subject, got it."

"I'm sure I have told you this several times already, but I am trying the best that I can." Daniel sighed as he continued to scan the area ahead of them. "I swear, I am going to start a drinking game if I say if again."

Max smirked. "It's not a fun drinking game if you don't have anything to drink."

"Who said…" Daniel's voice trailed off, causing Max to stop and turn back around.

"What is it?"

"I'm getting something on the scanner."

Max quickly made his way to Daniel's side. "Human something or animal something?"

"Definitely human." Daniel narrowed his eyes at Max. "And before you ask, I don't know if it's Nancy or not."

Reaching behind his back, Max pulled his gun out of the waistband of his jeans. "I guess there's only one way to find out."

Nodding, Daniel put the scanner away and pulled out his own gun.

Using his fingers to signal for Daniel to go to the left, Max stealthily made his way around to the right, remaining as quiet as possible. He wasn't sure who was waiting for them, but every part of him was praying that it was Nancy and that she was okay. They could put an end to this quickly, but he knew it couldn't be that easy.

It never was.

A few yards up ahead, he found a figure slumped against a tree. The person didn't appear to be moving and for a terrifying moment, he thought it was Nancy as he caught a flash of blonde hair. Caution went out the window as Max sprinted the rest of the distance only to stop short when he realized that it wasn't Nancy.

It was Randy Wolfe.

Max couldn't hold back the smile that tugged at his lips as he noticed the large red stain on Wolfe's shirt. The injured man's green eyes stood out in stark contrast against his pale skin as he looked up at Max.

"I have to say, this is quite the unexpected, nice surprise," Max said, holding his weapon at his side. "I didn't know Christmas would be coming so early this year."

"Bite me," Randy bit out.

"Sorry—not my thing." Max's head jerked up as the sound of approaching footsteps reached his ears. He visibly relaxed when he saw that it was Daniel. "So, what the hell happened to you? Didn't you're mother ever tell you not to run with scissors?"

Randy winced in pain as he tried to sit up. "Your bitch happened."

Max let the insult go as a rush of pride washed over him. "Nancy did this to you?"

"Do you have another bitch running around the forest?"

Okay, Max couldn't really let that one go. He struck out, punching Wolfe in the jaw, causing the other man to topple over. Max barely glanced up as Daniel let out a chuckle. "Watch how you speak about her."

"Screw you."

Max leaned down, gripping Randy by the neck. "Where is she?"

"Dead."

"Try again," Max growled, squeezing harder.

"If Krieger got a hold of her, she's as good as dead." Randy smiled, though it came across as more of a grimace. "You have no idea what he has planned for her."

Taking a deep breath, Max tried to get his anger under control. It wouldn't do him any good to kill Wolfe right now. At least, not until he got the answers he wanted. And he would get the answers. There was no doubt about that.

Keeping his grip tight on Randy's neck, Max plunged his other fist into the injured man's side where he'd been stabbed. He had to work hard to keep the smile off his face as Randy screamed in pain, his cries echoing all throughout the forest.

"Now, I'm going to ask you again," Max said softly, refusing to move his hand away from Randy's side. "Where is she?"

Randy grit his teeth, trying to pull away from Max. "If I tell you, you'll kill me anyway."

"Not true. I have no intention of letting you die a quick death." Max smiled, but there was no warmth in it. "You have my word. Now, tell me where she is."

When Randy refused to answer, Max dug into his wound, eliciting another roar of pain from him.

"I don't know where she is, you son of a bitch!" Randy screamed, panting heavily. He swallowed hard a few times before he was able to speak again. "She took off running as soon as she stabbed me."

"Which direction?"

"To the left."

Studying him for a few moments, Max gave a tight nod before removing his hand from his wound. "How long ago?"

"An hour, at least." Randy muttered a curse as he tried to sit up straight. "I don't know where she went, but I can point you in the direction of Krieger."

"Why would you do that?"

Randy let out a soft chuckle. "This whole thing was his idea. I was against it from the beginning, but he was funding the whole thing, so who was I to argue. I would have rather just killed Nancy when you brought her to me the first time."

"That still doesn't answer my question," Max growled.

"I want the bastard brought down!" Randy yelled. "The arrogant son of a bitch thinks no one can touch him."

"Where is he?"

"There's a cabin about a mile up ahead to your left. He was waiting there for me to bring Nancy to him."

Standing up, Max nodded to Daniel who stepped forward with a zip tie. Randy barely put up a fight as Daniel grabbed his hands and secured them to the tree behind him.

"What the hell are you doing?" Randy demanded. "I told you what I knew!"

Max smirked. "You didn't honestly think I was just going to let you go, did you? You just sit tight and if you happen to still be alive when I get back with Nancy, I'll pick you up so I can personally deliver you to the police."

"You'll go down with me!" Randy yelled.

"I don't think I will." Turning away from Randy, Max began walking away, Daniel right beside him.

"I won't let you get away this!"

"You might want to save your energy, Wolfe," Max called over his shoulder as he continued to put distance between them. "You're only going to die quicker if you don't."

He tuned out Randy's voice as the other man continued to shout after him. His focus was on other things.

He was going to find Nancy.

* * *

Nancy was pretty sure she had become an expert with déjà vu. And in her expert opinion, it sucked.

Especially when you woke up and found yourself tied to yet another bed.

The only difference this time was at least she wasn't waking up with Randy Wolfe in her face. Instead, she had found someone much worse—John Krieger. And at the moment, he was sitting in a chair across the room watching her, staring at her.

"Do you usually get your kicks by tying women to beds?" Nancy asked, ignoring the pounding in her head. She was pretty sure she had at least a baseball-sized lump on the back of her head. She tested the bonds, but found the ropes were tied tightly, almost stretching her body as far as it would go.

Krieger smiled lewdly, but said nothing.

Nancy let out a sigh as she let her head fall back down against the pillow. She honestly didn't want to know how he got his kicks—she just wanted to find a way out of this mess before he had the chance to kill her.

Because there was no doubt in her mind, that was exactly what he had planned.

"Are you going to say anything or just continue to stare at me?" Nancy asked, not masking her annoyance. Fear hadn't quite gripped her yet, but she wasn't sure how long it would be before it made its entrance.

"What would you like me to say, Miss Drew?"

"That you made a mistake and you're going to let me go and leave me alone."

"I would never say something so ludicrous."

Nancy rolled her eyes. "I only said it was what I wanted you to say. I never actually believed you would."

"You're a very intelligent woman," Krieger said softly. He still hadn't moved from his chair, which only annoyed Nancy even further.

"I'm flattered."

"As you should be."

Silence settled between them, which only made Nancy that much more uncomfortable. She didn't particularly like the silence; it made her feel claustrophobic. Of course, being bound hand and foot to a bed didn't help any, either. She tilted her head up, inspecting the bonds. There had to be a way to get herself free—a painful way, but a way nonetheless.

"You seem bored over there, Miss Drew," Krieger said, rising slowly from his chair. "Perhaps we should do something to occupy ourselves."

"I'm not bored," Nancy said, watching as he took slow, deliberate steps towards her. "I have no problem lying here, staring at the ceiling."

"I do." As he came closer, Nancy noticed he was holding something in his right hand, but she couldn't make out what it was. "I would rather that you were screaming. After all, the people paid to see a show and I intend to deliver."

Before Nancy could even comprehend what he was talking about, a burst of electricity shot through her body. Her mouth opened in a silence scream as she began convulsing, straining against the ropes holding her prisoner.

He'd hit her with a freakin' Taser.

"Son…of a…bitch!" Nancy bit out, wincing in pain.

"I'm pretty sure I didn't hear any screaming," Krieger said, ignoring her. "Let's try this again, shall we?"

Nancy let out a painful scream as she was hit with another wave of electricity. Her body felt as if it was on fire, the pain was so intense. She'd watched people get tased before, but never realized how much it hurt. Of course, she had to imagine that what Krieger was hitting her with was more intense than anything the police would use.

"Ah, music to my ears!" Krieger said happily.

It took Nancy a little longer to recover from the shock. When she spoke, her voice sounded shaky even to her own ears. "What is the…point of…this?"

"I want to see you hurt." Krieger leaned down until he was right above her face. "It would be too easy to kill you outright. I plan on dragging this out for as long as possible." He picked up a wicked looking hunting knife. The blade had to be at least ten inches long. "Do you have any idea what it's like to be in an Egyptian prison, Miss Drew?"

"Can't say that it's something that's on my bucket list," Nancy answered, trying to keep her eyes away from the knife.

"The conditions are deplorable. You're lucky if you even get one meal a day." Krieger traced a path along her body with the tip of the blade. "The things they do to you in there—even the guards—you can't begin to fathom."

"You're the one who landed yourself there."

"You put me there!" Krieger shouted, a vein bulging in his temple as his face turned a scarlet shade. "You and your detective friends! A bunch of teenagers, no less!"

"Sounds to me that it only speaks poorly of you," Nancy muttered, only to receive another volt of electricity shooting through her body. She couldn't stop the scream that tore out of her mouth or the tears that trailed down her face.

"You have a very smart mouth, Miss Drew," Krieger said, bringing the knife to trace along her mouth. "Maybe I should rectify that problem and cut out your tongue. I'm sure our viewers would love to see that."

Turning her eyes away from his leering grin, Nancy looked past his shoulder to see that there was in fact a video camera trained on her. She was surprised she hadn't noticed it before. It only pissed her off even more, knowing that she was at the mercy of a madman with no way to defend herself. And the fact that there were people watching her, probably getting off on seeing her in pain, infuriated her even more.

"You don't have to do this, Krieger," Nancy said softly. "You're throwing your freedom away for vengeance. Is it really worth it to you?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because for five years, I thought of nothing but coming back to the United States and hunting you down," Krieger explained. "I worked hard and I was about to become a very rich man until you put a stop to it."

"As you pointed out, I'm not the only one who brought you down," Nancy said. "What about Frank and Joe Hardy?"

"What about them?"

"Shouldn't they be part of this little game you concocted?"

"Who says they're not?"

Fear finally made its appearance, stabbing through her chest almost as if Krieger had plunged his knife there himself. He had to be lying about them. "What do you mean?"

Krieger let out a chuckle. "You think they're not watching this right now? Why go after them personally, when I can take away the one person they would give their own lives for? The guilt will eat away at them for the rest of their pathetic lives."

Nancy knew Krieger was right, as much as it pained her to admit to herself. Frank and Joe would be consumed with guilt, especially if they had no idea what had been going on for the past few days. She'd even thought about calling them for help when she'd first gotten away from Randy, but didn't want to put them in the line of fire.

Especially not when she had Max.

She was about to open her mouth when there was a loud thump outside the door. Nancy had no idea if it was the wind, a wild animal, or a person lurking outside, but she wasn't about to waste any opportunity for help. Opening her mouth to scream, it came out muffled as Krieger clamped his hand tightly over her mouth. She jerked her head from side to side, trying to move it, but he placed the knife against her throat, stilling her movements.

"Not a word, Miss Drew…" Krieger warned softly.

"Open the damn door, Krieger!" Max's voice penetrated the silence. "We know you're in there!"

Nancy had never heard a more beautiful sound in the world and for the first time, real hope actually flared in her chest. She was going to get out of this alive.

Keeping his hand over her mouth, Krieger sliced through the ropes holding her to the bed before jerking her up roughly to her feet. She was still weak and shaky from the shots she'd taken from the taser, stumbling slightly before the knife settled against her throat once again.

Krieger's breath was hot against her ear. "What do you say we invite our guest in for the show?"

* * *

**Sorry for the delay, but in my defense the final book in the Celestra series came out and I dropped everything to read it. And when I say everything, I mean everything. Pretty sure I forgot to eat or sleep at one point.**

**That being said, I would like to thank the following people for their reviews: Angelvie S, raven678, Michelle Gallichio, SC15, SarahE7191, Cupcake, and Lady Emily. I love you guys!**

**I apologize for any mistakes and let me know what you think!**


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

* * *

It took five minutes for Max to find a way into the cabin.

In his opinion, that was five minutes too long. He could have cursed himself for yelling out to Krieger, alerting the other man to his presence. In five minutes, he could have done anything to Nancy. Hell, it wouldn't even take a minute to kill her if he really wanted to. But Max had a feeling that Krieger hadn't killed her.

He couldn't explain how he knew that—it was just a feeling that he had. He just hoped that his feeling was right and he wouldn't find her dying or dead as soon as he got into the hunting cabin.

Anything would be better than that.

Max had sent Daniel to the back of the cabin, not wanting to alert Krieger to the fact that he had backup. It was his only advantage right now, and he'd given Daniel explicit orders not to go in unless things went to shit. It was the only way they would be able to get Nancy out of there, preferably alive.

Alive was the only goal.

With one final thrust of his foot, Max kicked the door open. Darkness greeted him from inside as the door slammed against the wall. There was not even one flicker of a light in the interior, so he had no idea where to search for Nancy. The faint moonlight flickered through the blinds covering the windows, but it still wasn't enough to make out anything. A flashing red light caught his attention a few feet away from him.

Stepping cautiously into the room, Max kept his grip tight on his gun as he pulled out a flashlight out of his pocket. Flicking it on, he shined it all over the room. His heart nearly stopped as the beam of the light caught Nancy in the middle of the room.

She was standing on a stool on the balls of her feet, her hands tied behind her back. As the trail of his light moved up her body, he saw that she was gagged and her blue eyes were shining brightly as she stared back at him, clearly terrified. But what chilled him the most was what he saw around her neck.

A noose had been fashioned out of rope, the end tied off to one of the thick beams that ran along the ceiling.

If she lost her footing, she'd hang herself.

All thought left Max as he rushed to Nancy. He needed to find some way to get her out of here before it was too late. He knew that Krieger was hiding out somewhere. He just needed to get Nancy away before he could surprise them.

Tucking his gun into his waistband, Max put his flashlight in his mouth before reaching up and pulling the gag out of Nancy's mouth.

"You came for me," Nancy said breathlessly as she looked down at him.

"Of course, I did." Max stood up on his tiptoes, pressing a kiss against her lips. More than anything, he wanted to keep the kiss going, especially when she responded to it with her own enthusiasm. But there would be time for that later.

"How did you find me?" Nancy asked as he broke the kiss.

"Later, Nancy." Max gripped her face between his hands, giving her another chaste kiss. "Right now, I need to get you out of here."

"There has actually been a change of plans, Mr. Grey." The click of a gun shattered through the darkness, just before the lights in the cabin snapped on.

Max jerked back from Nancy, blinking rapidly at the sudden brightness. As his eyes began to adjust, a chill went down his spine as he noticed Krieger standing behind Nancy, a cruel smile on his face. His grip on the gun was unwavering as he aimed it at Max's chest. The blinking red light was still flashing and it was then that Max realized it was a video camera trained on Nancy.

"I have to say, I am quite disappointed with you, Max," Krieger said, clucking his tongue in disapproval. "You came highly recommended to us when it came to retrievals. Your assignment was simple—find Miss Drew and deliver her, then walk away."

"I was never good at following directions," Max said, shrugging.

"Obviously," Krieger said with a nod. "If you had just done your job, this could have been over a week ago. But then you did something a person in your line of work is never supposed to do."

The corner of Max's mouth quirked up in amusement. "And what's that?"

"You fell in love with the target."

Nancy let out a small gasp at the revelation, her eyes locked on Max's as if she was looking for confirmation to Krieger's revelation. There was no way Max was going to hide his feelings from her—not when he'd come so close to losing her. If they only had a few minutes left, then he wanted her to know that what Krieger said was true.

He loved her.

Giving her a slight nod, Max turned his eyes back to Krieger. "You're right. I did. And I don't regret it for one minute."

"That only makes you sloppy, Max."

"I don't really care what you think, Krieger," Max said, his fingers itching for the gun in the back of his jeans. If he could just reach it, maybe he could shoot Krieger and still get to Nancy in time before he kicked the stool from beneath her feet. Max didn't miss the way that her legs were beginning to tremble as she tried to maintain her balance.

"You wouldn't be reaching for your weapon, would you, Max?"

Max shook his head, flashing his best winning smile. "Nope, just stretching my arms."

"Very funny." Krieger's expression hardened as he pulled something from his left jacket pocket. Before Max could figure out what it was, Nancy let out a pain-filled cry as her body jerked slightly, her tedious balance on the stool wavering before she was able to regain control. Krieger's smile was cold as he held up a Taser for Max to see. "Should we try this again? Or the next time, I'll hit her with a stronger dose. It just takes one misstep, and then it's no more Miss Drew."

Max gritted his teeth, the muscles in his cheek popping out. He wasn't going to do anything to put Nancy at further risk. Reaching into his waistband, he slowly pulled the gun out, keeping his eyes on Nancy the entire time.

"Put it on the floor and kick it towards me," Krieger said.

"Got it," Max bit out, doing as Krieger instructed. He kept his hands up where Krieger could see them. He just needed to figure out another way to distract him so he could get to Nancy. He knew he had Daniel, but he didn't want Daniel to reveal himself too early or they would all be screwed.

Flashing another smile at Max, Krieger pressed the Taser against Nancy's side and let out another burst of electricity. Nancy let out another cry as her balance faltered from the stool, a choking gasp coming from her as the rope jerked tight against her throat.

"Not yet, Miss Drew," Krieger said, putting the stool back beneath her feet. "I don't want you dying quite yet."

"Bastard," Nancy gasped out as she got her breathing under control. Max didn't miss the trickle of sweat running down from her hairline.

"Language, Miss Drew."

"I'll give you some language, you son of a—"

"Nancy!" Max barked, causing her to jump. She wasn't going to do him any good if she managed to get herself killed just because she pissed Krieger off. He refused to stand there and watch her die. Ignoring Nancy's glare, Max turned his attention back to Krieger. "Where's your little friend?"

"You mean Wolfe?" Krieger chuckled. "I would hardly call him a friend."

"Then what would you call him?"

"A pain in the ass, for starters." Krieger shrugged. "And as for where he is, I imagine that he ran away when he realized that he couldn't deliver Miss Drew to me. I did give him a time limit, and told him in vivid detail about what would happen to him if he didn't."

Max smiled as he locked eyes with Nancy before glancing at Krieger again. "You're wrong on both counts. And if you're thinking he'll join you soon, you're wrong about that, too."

Krieger's eyes narrowed. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"I stumbled upon Wolfe about a mile away," Max said. "He was doing a very good job of holding up a tree."

"He's dead?"

"I didn't say that. But he was stabbed." Max shrugged again. "And if I didn't stab him and you didn't stab him…"

Realization dawned in Krieger's eyes as he glanced at Nancy. "That would only leave you, Miss Drew."

"I was defending myself."

"He's lucky I didn't decide to finish him off myself," Max said, glaring. "Of course, if he's lucky, he'll still be alive by the time I get back with Nancy."

It was Krieger's turn to smile. "You honestly think you're getting out of here with her?"

"Yes. I do."

"And what makes you so sure of that?"

"Well, let's take a minute and think about this," Max said as he moved slightly closer to Nancy. "I was able to track you down here and I bet you're wondering how. Come on, Krieger. I know you're curious."

"Now that you mention it…"

"My friend, Daniel—the one you took to get us here? He happens to be really familiar with computers. A genius, I guess you could say." Max smiled. "He was able to get into your exclusive viewing party—twenty-five grand later, and worth every penny. After that, it was just a matter of him tracing your location."

"I see. Not only will I have to kill Miss Drew, but I'll be taking you and your partner down with her."

"Before you do that, just know that Daniel has already sent out an email detailing the entire operation to every law enforcement agency in the country, not to mention to the major ones throughout the world." Max took another step closer to Nancy, closing the distance between them. "There will be nowhere you can hide, Krieger."

The color seemed to drain from Krieger's face as Max's words sank in. Then, slowly his face contorted to rage. With one last chilling smile at Max, Krieger kicked the stool out from underneath Nancy's feet.

"Daniel, now!" Max shouted as he shot towards Nancy, catching her before the rope could snap her neck.

Nancy let out a shuddering sob as Max wrapped his arms around her. "Max…"

"Shh, it's okay, Nancy. I've got you."

The sound of two gunshots rang out, causing Max to jerk his attention away from Nancy. "Daniel?" He hoped that it wasn't going to be Daniel's body that he found lying on the floor.

Daniel stepped into his line of sight with a smile on his face. "I'm good, Max. He didn't hit me."

"Is he dead?" Nancy asked.

"Unfortunately." Daniel's eyes locked with Nancy's. "I was trained to deliver a kill shot. I never quite grasped the ability to only deliver a shot to injure."

"He deserved what he got, Nancy," Max said, looking up at her. "He was about to kill you. I would have done the same thing that Daniel did."

Biting her bottom lip, Nancy merely nodded.

It hurt his heart to see Nancy staring down at him like that, like he was a killer. Which he was. But she had to know that he would never hurt her. He cared about her too much to hurt her. He only wanted to hold her and protect her. He prayed to God this wasn't going to mess anything up between them.

"Daniel, help me get her down from here."

Daniel pulled a knife from a sheath around his ankle and cut the ropes around her wrists before cutting the noose in half. Nancy slid the rest of the way into Max's arms, throwing her arms around him as her feet touched the ground. Max gingerly removed the rope from around her neck, tossing it aside. He let out a low growl as he noticed the marks marring the delicate skin of her neck.

"Max, it's okay," Nancy whispered as he brought her hands up to tangle in his hair. She angled herself so he had to focus on her bright blue eyes, instead of her injuries. "I'm okay."

Taking a deep breath, Max nodded as he pressed his lips against her, kissing her softly. "Let's see about getting you home, okay?"

Nancy shook her head. "I don't want to go home."

Max frowned. "Where do you—?"

"I want to go back to the beach, Max," Nancy said softly, kissing him again. "Take me back to the beach."

* * *

**We've got one more chapter to go, folks. And yes, I do have something else lined up and it may or may not have something to do with a sequel to The Spider and the Fly. (That wasn't vague at all, was it?)**

**I want to thank everyone who reviewed the previous chapter: Michelle Gallichio, Angelvie S, MCR-1993, Angel 23, raven678, SC15, and Lady Emily. As you know, you guys rock!**

**I apologize for any mistakes and please let me know what you think!**


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter Twenty-Four**

* * *

Two days later, Nancy found herself sitting on the shore of the Florida Keys, looking out at the Gulf of Mexico. It was warm outside, a light breeze coming in from the east, blowing her hair all around her. She felt at peace here. She never thought she could find any peace, considering what she had gone through during the last week.

As soon as Max and Daniel had freed her, they'd escaped into the woods, leaving the cabin and Krieger's body behind them. Nancy felt a little bad about doing that, knowing they were leaving a dead man without reporting it to the authorities, but Max had assured her it would be taken care of. All he cared about was getting her out of there and taken care of.

Nancy found that she couldn't argue with that. Not that she really could in the first place. Max was having no arguments from her, even when she protested against being checked out at the hospital. He'd been stubborn in that respect, not even allowing her to get into the car until she agreed.

She'd had to stay overnight, the doctors wanting to observe her and make sure that she didn't have a concussion, thanks to the knock on the head from Krieger. Aside from that, they'd treated the abrasions around her wrists and neck, not the mention the numerous burn marks she had from the Taser that Krieger had used on her. The most serious injury had been the stab wound to her left thigh, requiring several stitches, not to mention a few pints of blood.

The doctors had mentioned that she had been lucky—if she hadn't tied the tourniquet around her leg, she never would have made it out of the woods, succumbing to blood loss. Nancy wasn't stupid—she knew she was lucky.

Lucky on so many counts.

The only luck she lacked was the fact that Randy had somehow managed to get away. When they had arrived at the tree that Max and Daniel had left him, they'd found it bare, the zip ties discarded to the side. The only other evidence that Randy had been there was the puddle of blood at the base of the tree.

Nancy couldn't help but shiver at that revelation, but Max had promised her that he couldn't have made it far with the stab wound she'd inflicted upon Randy. And while Nancy had reluctantly agreed with him, she knew better.

She knew better than to underestimate Randy Wolfe. He was out there somewhere, just lying in wait until he could strike again.

There was no doubt in her mind that he would be back. It may not be for a while, but there was no way he was going to just tuck his tail between his legs and walk away. It just wasn't who he was.

But Nancy did know one thing for sure—she would be ready for him next time.

"How long have you been out here?" Max asked, his voice startling her out of her thoughts.

Nancy glanced up, shading her eyes against the sunlight. "A few minutes. Sorry I didn't say anything. I just needed to get out and clear my head."

Max frowned. "You're not a prisoner here, Nancy. I want you to feel as if you're home here."

Nancy nodded. "I appreciate that. I really like it here…" Turning away from Max, Nancy glanced out over the water, watching as seagulls flew in the distance. The crashing of the waves against the shore calmed her rattled nerves, almost as if it was a soothing lullaby.

"Did you finally talk to your father?" Max asked, sitting down beside her. Nancy noticed he was dressed in linen lounge pants with a white button down shirt. The sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, showing off the taut muscles there.

"Yeah. He was out of the country and just got back this morning." Nancy chuckled. "He actually had no idea what was going on."

"Is that really such a bad thing?"

Nancy shook her head. "No. He would have just worried about me."

"I'm sure he worries about you all of the time."

"And you would be correct. The downside of being an only child—all the worrying falls on me."

Max reached out and tucked a bit of her hair behind her ear, letting his hand linger on her cheek. Nancy closed her eyes and leaned into his touch, enjoying the burst of warmth that radiated throughout her body that had nothing to do with the heat. "Any man would be foolish not to want to worry about you, Nancy. You're worth every bit of it."

Nancy smiled softly as she looked into his eyes, seeing a tenderness there that she never would have expected from him when she first met him. It amazed her that he was nothing like the cold-blooded killer she had encountered a week ago.

"He wants me to come back home."

Max swallowed hard. "Are you going to?"

"Eventually," Nancy answered. "Unless you're ready for me to go home now."

"I'm not ready to let you go just yet, Nancy."

Nancy smiled. "Good."

"If I had my way, I would never let you out of my sight again, Nancy." Max sighed as he turned away from her, staring out into the open water. "But I also know that I don't have the right to ask anything of you. If it wasn't for me, you never would have been in this mess to begin with."

"That's not true, Max. You can't blame yourself for anything that happened."

"Can't I?"

"No." Nancy reached out and put her hand against his cheek, forcing him to look back at her. "If it wasn't you, they would have just found some other way to get me. Yes, at first I was extremely angry with you."

"And you had every right to be."

Nancy ignored him. "But after I got to know you, I saw something in you that you never wanted to admit to yourself."

"And what's that?"

"You're a good man, Max. You're not the damaged kid that you used to be—you don't have to put a wall around yourself anymore." Nancy smiled softly. "It's okay to allow people to see the real you."

Max shook his head as he closed his eyes, pressing a kiss against Nancy's palm. "You're the only one I've ever wanted to share myself with, Nancy."

Nancy stared at him, speechless. What exactly could she say to that kind of admission? Max was putting everything out on the table for her, letting her see how he truly felt. And if she really wanted to be honest with herself, she felt just as strongly about him. She never thought she would feel that way about another man after Ned, especially not with Max.

"And I can see that I've just made you uncomfortable by admitting that," Max said with a slight chuckle.

"No, it's not that, Max." Nancy took a deep breath as she prepared herself for what she wanted to say next. "Was he telling the truth?"

"Who?"

"Krieger…when he said you're in love with me."

"Is that such a bad thing?"

Nancy shook her head. "No…"

Max nodded, turning his body so that he was facing her. He took her hands in his, squeezing them gently. "He was right. I am in love with you, Nancy Drew."

It was now or never—Nancy knew what he wanted to hear and without a doubt, she knew she could reciprocate the feelings. She was in love with Max Grey. She wasn't sure how they could make it work, but that didn't matter right at that moment. They were together now.

And she was tired of being alone. She deserved to be happy, even if it didn't last.

Throwing caution to the wind, Nancy leaned forward until her lips brushed against his. "I love you, Max."

The most beautiful smile spread across Max's face as he took her in his arms and lowered her to the ground, his body hovering over hers. "I could listen to you say that every day of my life and it still wouldn't be enough."

Smiling, Nancy pulled Max down on top of her. The crashing of the waves provided the perfect background noise as they became lost in each other, giving in to their passion.

Nancy couldn't think of a better place she would rather be.

* * *

**So, I was going to wait until my birthday on Saturday to post the last chapter, but I just couldn't do that to you guys. And alas, we have come to the end of another story. All I can hope is that you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. It was a nice change for me to write a solo Nancy Drew story and I had a blast with it. **

**Especially Max…I love me some Max. (And yes, eventually, he is going to have to make another appearance in my universe.)**

**That being said, I would love to thank the following people for their wonderful reviews: Michelle Gallichio, catlover1033, Angelvie S, raven678, SC15, Ealasaid Una, and PearlsAndBlackRoses. You guys rock and I am so happy you stuck around with me!**

**And now to answer the question that a lot of you have been asking me about. Yes, I am writing a sequel to **_**The Spider and the Fly**_**. And believe me when I say that it will be dark and scary, making **_**The Spider and the Fly**_** look like a kids movie.**

**The title of the new story will be **_**Absolution**_**.**

**In celebration of the new story, I have started a blog where I will be posting teasers and exclusive content related to the story, along with my other writing endeavors. If you head on over now, you will find a teaser summary along with one other goodie for **_**Absolution**_**. You can leave comments for me there and even ask questions!**

**You can find my blog address on my bio page! (I tried to post it here for you, but the site won't let me...)**


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